Have to see the job through, says Schembri

After ages, Chennaiyin saw a light at the end of the tunnel when Maltese forward Schembri outsmarted Hyderabad FC goalkeeper Kamaljit Singh and netted the club’s first goal in this campaign. Since that victory over HFC in November last year, gaffer Owen Coyle has run the show for CFC, which has been an embodiment of the idiom “It isn’t over until it’s over”.

The two-time title-winner was down in the dumps after Gameweek 4, but is now only a couple of steps away from having a happy ending in its fairytale run. In the semi-final first leg at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the city last week, Chennaiyin tore ‘League Winner Shield’ holder Goa into pieces in a 4-1 battering.

Although CFC takes a three-goal cushion into the deciding leg that is to be hosted at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa on Saturday, Schembri stressed the last four tie is far from done. “We need to forget about the win and start afresh. That is of paramount importance. We can’t get complacent; we have to see the job through,” Schembri told DT Next.

Boasting of ballers who can bail their side out of trouble at any given situation, Goa is expected to put its foot down on the matchday. And, former Malta captain Schembri is completely wary of the menace the Clifford Miranda-managed team possesses.

“Goa will come at us with everything it has and we will have to be ready. It is not going to be an easy game by any stretch of imagination. Goa has got fantastic home support, but we will need to use that pressure positively and give everything. We are extremely confident of our ability,” added Schembri, who has so far contributed five goals and three assists in ISL 6.

Following the 0-3 thrashing at the hands of defending champion Bengaluru FC in the early part of the campaign, Chennaiyin had a 14-day break before its home fixture against Hyderabad. Having recharged its battery and drown out the negativity, the ‘Marina Machans’ came back fresh and notched up its first win of this edition.

From there on, there has been no stopping the Chennai-based unit. “The interval did help all of us. The nature of the HFC result, including my goal, gave the side a huge boost. In hindsight, it means a lot both to me and the team,” said 33-year-old Schembri, who referred to his first stint in India as a great cultural and professional experience.

“I had always wanted to visit this diverse and beautiful country. Football gave me that opportunity and I have had a great time here,” he signed off.