Jeje’s penalty gives Chennaiyin FC a crucial win

Just when it seemed the first half would be remembered for a flurry of half chances, the referee pointed to the spot when Mehtab Hossain took a tumble in his own box and handled the ball in the process. Jeje Lalpekhlua sent Subrata Pal the other way with a smart penalty for his fourth goal of the season, and it turned out to be the difference between the two teams. 

But the drama was hardly over in the first period when the referee awarded a very soft penalty at the other end. Chennaiyin manager John Gregory was fuming at the touchline and was sent into the stands for his reaction, but Kervens Belfort’s effort was saved brilliantly by Karanjit Singh. It was the closest that Jamshedpur would come to equalising because the impending 45 minutes were a cagey affair with lots of mistakes from attackers in the final third. The best moment came from Jeje himself, but he blasted over in the dying seconds from Germanpreet Singh’s pass. 

Apart from the penalty, Jamshedpur’s defence held firm in the first half but there was more action for its attackers. It all started with Mehtab Hossain finding space down the right, but the impending shot from Belfort was well saved by Karanjit. Youngster Jerry Mawhmingthanga had the second chance of the match minutes later, but his effort was just wide, this time the cross had come from Souvik Chakrabarti as Jamshedpur fired a few warning shots.

An interesting strategy throughout the game was that of holding a very high line whenever Chennaiyin would get a deep set-piece. Jamshedpur’s aerial prowess meant it got away with it on most occasions, but the tactic from Steve Coppell was pretty clear.

Chennaiyin’s win means it is four points clear on top of the table now, but has played two games more than second-placed FC Goa.