Nelson nets match-winner for Chennaiyin FC

For almost the entire first half the host’s four-man defence withstood a ferocious onslaught from a Pune team that deserved better than a morale-denting loss. As it transpired, Pune’s agonising wait to earn its maiden win over Chennaiyin continues indefinitely. 

The win means Chennaiyin will be the sole leader at the top with 20 points from 10 matches. The result may say Pune lost, but it was the team that created a glut of chances in the initial exchanges. Its midfielder Mohammed Ashique Kuruniyan could have opened the scoring in the eighth minute but CFC’s Mailson Alves blocked his goal-bound shot by planting his right foot. 

Two minutes later, Ashique’s volley missed the left upright by a whisker. The chances and the resultant misses kept flowing for the visiting team as in the 12th minute, Carlos de Oliveira’s shot from the edge of the box grazed the crossbar before falling back into play. Until the winning goal was scored, there were only two occasions during the entire match that had the home fans erupting in delight. 

One was when Chennaiyin was awarded a penalty in the 24th minute when Nelson was the beneficiary of a refereeing error. The roar that followed soon after the referee pointed to the spot made way for eerie silence just as quickly when Rene Mihelic’s tame effort was saved by Pune goalkeeper Vishal Kaith. 

It was not until the introduction of midfielder Raphael Augusto in the 65th minute in place of Mihelic that the Chennaiyin faithful strained their vocal cords again. And the crowd favourite Augusto didn’t let them down as his inch-perfect through ball found Nelson who did full justice to the pass by scoring past Kaith with his left foot.