Abhishek Bachchan treated to an away victory
The co-owner of the Chennai franchise was present to witness his side get the better of the Goan 'Reddes' in a closely fought contest.
Chennaiyin FC edged past FC Goa 2-1 in the fourth match of the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) played at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Fatorda, Goa, on Wednesday evening.
Balwant Singh (32') and Elano Blumer (42') gave the southerners a two-goal cushion in the first half, while Gregory Arnolin (65') managed to pull one back for the Goan franchise.
Robert Pires started as the home team's captain in a line-up that included Portuguese midfielder Edgar Marcelino as the playmaker while players like Andre Santos and Ranti Martins were benched.
On the other side, player-manager Marco Materazzi benched himself along with India international Jeje Lalpekhlua while opting to start with Brazilian Elano Blumer in the attack and Mikael Silvestre at the helm of his defense.
In the eighth minute, the The Gaurs won a corner that was brilliantly headed by Youness Bengelloun although it landed a few yards away from the target. In the next minute, Pires and Marcelino combined with the former fed with a pass inside the box who played it back to Marcelino, whose long ranger went well over the bar.
The first chance for the visitors fell to them in the form of a free-kick in the 12th minute when Elano hit the wall. Following a clumsy clearance, the resultant Chennaiyin corner was out of reach for Mendy despite the Frenchman rising highest.
The Abhishek Bachchan co-owned team eventually began making some inroads and Bruno Pelissari tried an audacious long-ranger from midfield with an eye to catch Jan Seda off his line. The Goan side's goalkeeper might as well have left it as the ball went over the bar until they eventually scored the opener two minutes past the half hour mark, but not before Pires wasted a chance down the other end when the Frenchman curled a shot wide in the 27th minute.
For the goal, Dhanachandra Singh had sent in a cross from the left and Elano couldn't keep his balance, allowing the ball to fall at Balwant Singh's feet. Admist claims for a penalty, the Mohun Bagan striker became the first Indian to score a goal in the ongoing ISL. Seda got his hand to it but couldn't keep it out.
Marcelino took another free-kick for FC Goa from outside the box but his shot took a fortuitous deflection off Gennaro Bracigliano's fist and sailed just over the bar in the 35th minute.
Exactly 10 minutes after the deadlock was broken came the second goal courtesy of a well taken free-kick by Elano after Prabir Das had appeared to have brought down Balwant just outside the box. The set-piece saw Seda remain grounded with no chance whatsoever as the Brazilian's delicious effort nestled into the back of the net.
The initial few exchanges in the second half saw a couple of good chances for the side trailing as Gabriel Fernandes was cut out by Mendy after the Goan had managed to get past a couple of Chennaiyin defenders in one chance while Miguel Herlein almost provided the telling touch to the ball sent in by Marcelino from the left.
Holicharan Narzary also tried his luck from distance after good link-up between Pires and Herlein, but the shot was off target just before the Dempo player was substituted in the 62nd minute.
The central defensive pair of the hosts went on a rampage as Gregory Arnolin tapped in the ball from close range after Bengelloun had played the ball to him from the right edge of the box in the 65th minute after Herlein had sent in the intial long ball.
Pires missed a sitter in the 77th minute. The former Arsenal player was fed with a ball at the edge of the box with the stage perfectly set for a volley from him, but his effort sailed horribly wide of the target.
The inclusion of Ranti Martins could have proved pivotal for FC Goa had he to convert the chances that befell him. Bracigilano reduced the angle and thwarted a close-range effort from Martins after Narayan Das had sent in a sublime cross from the left in the 84th minute and the French goalkeeper came to the side's rescue once again to claim a cross from the right that was sent in by Gabriel.
The Nigerian striker was also supplied a good cross in the area by substitute Clifford Miranda, but Martins took way too long to pull the trigger and allowed Mendy to block the shot in the 88th minute, while the five minutes of added time could not change the scoreline for either sides.
The visitors held on for a well earned win and became the first team to win away from home in the ISL.
Chennaiyin FC edged past FC Goa 2-1 in the fourth match of the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) played at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Fatorda, Goa, on Wednesday evening.
Balwant Singh (32') and Elano Blumer (42') gave the southerners a two-goal cushion in the first half, while Gregory Arnolin (65') managed to pull one back for the Goan franchise.
Robert Pires started as the home team's captain in a line-up that included Portuguese midfielder Edgar Marcelino as the playmaker while players like Andre Santos and Ranti Martins were benched.
On the other side, player-manager Marco Materazzi benched himself along with India international Jeje Lalpekhlua while opting to start with Brazilian Elano Blumer in the attack and Mikael Silvestre at the helm of his defense.
In the eighth minute, the The Gaurs won a corner that was brilliantly headed by Youness Bengelloun although it landed a few yards away from the target. In the next minute, Pires and Marcelino combined with the former fed with a pass inside the box who played it back to Marcelino, whose long ranger went well over the bar.
The first chance for the visitors fell to them in the form of a free-kick in the 12th minute when Elano hit the wall. Following a clumsy clearance, the resultant Chennaiyin corner was out of reach for Mendy despite the Frenchman rising highest.
The Abhishek Bachchan co-owned team eventually began making some inroads and Bruno Pelissari tried an audacious long-ranger from midfield with an eye to catch Jan Seda off his line. The Goan side's goalkeeper might as well have left it as the ball went over the bar until they eventually scored the opener two minutes past the half hour mark, but not before Pires wasted a chance down the other end when the Frenchman curled a shot wide in the 27th minute.
For the goal, Dhanachandra Singh had sent in a cross from the left and Elano couldn't keep his balance, allowing the ball to fall at Balwant Singh's feet. Admist claims for a penalty, the Mohun Bagan striker became the first Indian to score a goal in the ongoing ISL. Seda got his hand to it but couldn't keep it out.
Marcelino took another free-kick for FC Goa from outside the box but his shot took a fortuitous deflection off Gennaro Bracigliano's fist and sailed just over the bar in the 35th minute.
Exactly 10 minutes after the deadlock was broken came the second goal courtesy of a well taken free-kick by Elano after Prabir Das had appeared to have brought down Balwant just outside the box. The set-piece saw Seda remain grounded with no chance whatsoever as the Brazilian's delicious effort nestled into the back of the net.
The initial few exchanges in the second half saw a couple of good chances for the side trailing as Gabriel Fernandes was cut out by Mendy after the Goan had managed to get past a couple of Chennaiyin defenders in one chance while Miguel Herlein almost provided the telling touch to the ball sent in by Marcelino from the left.
Holicharan Narzary also tried his luck from distance after good link-up between Pires and Herlein, but the shot was off target just before the Dempo player was substituted in the 62nd minute.
The central defensive pair of the hosts went on a rampage as Gregory Arnolin tapped in the ball from close range after Bengelloun had played the ball to him from the right edge of the box in the 65th minute after Herlein had sent in the intial long ball.
Pires missed a sitter in the 77th minute. The former Arsenal player was fed with a ball at the edge of the box with the stage perfectly set for a volley from him, but his effort sailed horribly wide of the target.
The inclusion of Ranti Martins could have proved pivotal for FC Goa had he to convert the chances that befell him. Bracigilano reduced the angle and thwarted a close-range effort from Martins after Narayan Das had sent in a sublime cross from the left in the 84th minute and the French goalkeeper came to the side's rescue once again to claim a cross from the right that was sent in by Gabriel.
The Nigerian striker was also supplied a good cross in the area by substitute Clifford Miranda, but Martins took way too long to pull the trigger and allowed Mendy to block the shot in the 88th minute, while the five minutes of added time could not change the scoreline for either sides.
The visitors held on for a well earned win and became the first team to win away from home in the ISL.
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