Chennaiyin ends season on a high with 3rd successive win

CHENNAI: Chennaiyin FC signed off in style as it finished its Indian Super League season with a thrilling 4-3 win over NorthEast United FC here on Friday.

Rahim Ali, Kwame Karikari, Anirudh Thapa and Sajal Bag were on the scoresheet as Chennaiyin clinched a third successive win and went level on points with FC Goa (27). Wilmar Gil bagged a brace and Parthib Gogoi scored an astonishing goal for NorthEast, but it was not enough to take something from the game.

Chennaiyin got off to a perfect start in the third minute. Rahim’s clever run was spotted by Julius Duker, who lifted the ball over the NorthEast defence before the striker took a touch and slotted it past Arindam Bhattacharja.

Seven minutes into the second half, NorthEast netted the equaliser. Parthib played a simple pass forward to Gil, who used his physique to hold his marker back and slotted a low shot past CFC goalkeeper Samik Mitra. Minutes later, Gil got his head to Joseba Beitia’s corner-kick and directed it towards the top left corner of goal before it was plucked out of the air by Mitra.

Parity lasted only four minutes as the host retook the lead via a scrappy goal that was finished off by Karikari. Arindam did well to block the initial effort from Edwin Sydney Vanspaul but the parry went straight into the path of Karikari, who made no mistake.

Two minutes past the hour-mark, Chennaiyin established a two-goal cushion. An inch-perfect diagonal was whipped out towards Thapa from the right flank by Ninthoi Meetei. The midfielder chested it down and powered it past Arindam with aplomb as the Highlanders keeper was beaten at his near post.

In the 74th minute, the deficit was cut back down to one goal when Parthib tried his luck from range. The winger’s long-range piledriver flew past Mitra and into the back of the net. Nine minutes from time, it was all square again. A defensive error allowed Gil to tap in a low cross from substitute Emil Benny.

In the final minute of stoppage time, Nasser El Khayati’s mazy run into the NorthEast box helped Sajal finished off the move.

RESULT: Chennaiyin FC 4 (Rahim 3, K Karikari 56, A Thapa 62, Sajal 90) bt NorthEast United FC 3 (W Gil 52 & 81, Parthib 74)