Gokulam Kerala upsets Chennai City FC

Santu Singh's superbly taken free-kick on the 61st minute gave Bino George's men the much-needed three points.

The home team made four changes to the side that lost 0-2 to Aizawl. Uros Poljanec made way for V Baskaran in goal, Pardeep Mohanraj and T Akhand were replaced by Shahabaaz Alam and Sebastian in defence, whereas Alexander Jesuraj was benched in favour of striker Murilo Almeida. 

Whereas Gokulam Kerala FC made three changes to its side that suffered a 3-2 defeat against Churchill Brothers at home. Kivi Zhimomi replaced Odafa Okolie up front, K Laldampuia and Arjun Jayaraj made way for Salman K and Mudde Musa in midfield.

The first chance of the game fell for the host when Soosai Raj found Jean Joachim with an overhead through ball. The French striker audaciously tried to lob the ball over goal-keeper Bilal Khan, who was caught off his line, but his strike was off-target. 

Chennai City FC was dominating proceedings in the first 15 minutes and the second chance of the game also fell for Chennai. Joachim put in a delicious through ball for Murilo whose low powerful effort on target warmed the gloves of Bilal under the sticks.

Almost against the run of play, Gokulam Kerala found the first sniff of goal when right-back Santu Singh delivered a curling ball behind Chennai's defence to find Salman, whose header was kept out by Baskaran. 

Bino George's heart skipped a beat when Shumeiko's lobbed delivery from a set-piece found Sydney Vanspaul, whose right-footed shot went whiskers away from the far post, albeit the linesman raised a late offside flag.

During the last five minutes of the first-half, Kerala tried to spring a surprise, but both Kivi and Salman missed golden opportunities to put their side in front.  

Although Chennai had the better opportunities during the first 45 minutes, its ineffectiveness in front of goal, meant that both sides were on level terms as they headed for the tunnel at half-time.