Chennaiyin FC walked away with three points for the second time this season by beating East Bengal FC 1-0 in the Indian Super League on Friday.
ALSO READ| “A decision has yet to be made on the inclusion of I-League winners in ISL,” said AIFF Secretary General Shaji Prabhakaran
Vafa Hakhamaneshi scored the only goal of the game in the 69th minute, not long before he was sent off. Both teams ended with ten men, as East Bengal’s Sarthak Golui was also sent off in the 75th minute.
The hosts were unchanged as head coach Stephen Constantine fielded the same XI that started in the Kolkata Derby last week. Chennaiyin FC made only one substitution, with Debjit Majumder returning in goal after serving his suspension. The biggest concern for the visitors was the absence of Kwame Karikari from the squad due to an injury.
Two minutes into the game, Jordan O’Doherty found himself in space in the Chennaiyin box. His pass was blocked by Fallou Diagne before it could do any damage. On the other hand, just after ten minutes, Petar Sliskovic was knocked out by Anirudh Thapa with a through ball. The corner was tight and Sliskovic’s effort hit the post.
Halfway through the first half, Suhair Vadakkepeedika tried to overwhelm the visitors with a quick counterattack. The flag hung as Suhair galloped toward the goal before setting his effort wide of the far post. In the 34th minute, Thapa sold a dummy into the East Bengal box before seeing his powerful shot saved by Kamaljit Singh.
In the 36th minute, Hakhamaneshi was almost punished for his complacency on the edge of the Chennaiyin box. The Iranian delayed a pass to the goalkeeper before losing his balance. Cleiton Silva jumped the ball, but saw his shot miss the goal from a tight angle.
Five minutes into the second half, a corner from Chennaiyin FC was cleared, but only to Rahim Ali, who was lurking on the edge of the penalty area. On the volley, the striker tried to find the bottom right corner, but his effort went just wide. Three minutes later, Kamaljit produced another brave save to deny Prasanth Karuthadathkuni.
