Chennaiyin FC defeated ATK Mohun Bagan 2-1 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in the Indian Super League (ISL) in Kolkata on Monday.
Kwame Karikari and Rahim Ali scored the goal as CFC came back from being a goal down, through Manvir Singh, to beat ATKMB.
ATK started the game in the front foot, as debutant Dimitrios Petratos and Asish Rai got close inside the opening six minutes.
Chennaiyin FC sat back and absorbed the pressure as Anirudh Thapa tried an acrobatic attempt but was blocked bravely by the defence.
After Debjit Majumder made stunning saves, including a sharp one to his right to deny a snapshot from Manvir Singh, he slipped in Ashique Kuruniyan in the 15th minute, but the Chennaiyin keeper made another super save.
The patience finally paid off for ATK as after Chennaiyin started gaining confidence to get up the pitch and that cost them. A quick counter-attack in the 27th minute, led by Manvir Singh, after a wonderful flick from Hugo Boumous, and played a one-two with Dimitri Petratos, finished it off stylishly.
Having a poor game already on the right of defence for Chennai, Ajith Kumar snatched at Boumous just as the ATK star was about to take a throw-in. He was shown a yellow card for his troubles and with more than a half of football still left to be played.
As the end of the first 45 approached either team were content to see the interim through. After the restart, the hostilities resumed. Only for the match to halt with some of the floodlights faltering. After nearly 10 minutes of stoppage in play, which was attributed to a power failure in the generators, the match resumed.
Chennaiyin were far more adventurous at the restart as Edwin Vanspaul’s introduction at the beginning of the second half, injected pace into the proceedings.
Another substitution, the introduction of Kwame Karikari made the difference for Chennaiyin. In the 63rd minute, Julius Duker dinked a ball for Kwame Karikari who touched the ball ahead of Vishal Kaith, who charged out of his line. He instead fouled Karikari and the referee gave a penalty, which Karikari converted with ease.
The goal prompted an immediate reaction from Juan Ferrando, who promptly brought on Liston Colaco, albeit at the cost of Petratos as they dropped
down to three at the back with Manvir and Ashique Kuruniyan playing as wing backs.
Even with new personnel and renewed vigour in search for the lead back, ATK fell behind by a superb cut back from Karikari, who found Rahim Ali on the left. He ran on and finished it at the far post with pin point accuracy in the 83rd minute.
Even though the ATK players tried hard to find the equaliser this time, the goal would just not come as Chennaiyin came out victors with a comeback win.
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