Chennaiyin stops Odisha FC’s unbeaten streak with 2-1 win

CHENNAI: Chennaiyin FC handed Odisha FC its first loss in its last 13 Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 games as an added time winner by Jordan Murray helped the Marina Machans to a 2-1 win against the Juggernauts at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on Sunday.

It is a result that will have ramifications across the points table, with Mumbai City FC (35) and Mohun Bagan Super Giant (33) with a good chance to displace Odisha FC (35) from the top. Simultaneously, it has brought the tenth placed Owen Coyle-coached side level on points (18) with the sixth-placed Bengaluru FC.

Coyle insisted before the game that Chennaiyin FC plays its best at home, whereas Odisha FC head coach Sergio Lobera acknowledged recently that every game is a final at this stage.

However, the writing was on the wall throughout the game, with Chennaiyin FC producing one of its most co-ordinated performances right from the back to the front, barring a brief moment of lack of concentration that equalised scores in the 78th minute. Ankit Mukherjee drew the first blood from a set-piece five minutes into the game, with Rafael Crivellaro picking the fullback amidst a crowded box on the near post on the right side. Mukherjee charged inside and beat competition from the towering Mourtada Fall to drill the ball into the back of the net. Odisha FC tested the Chennaiyin FC resolve later on, with domestic stars Amey Ranawade and Isak Vanlalruatfela teasing Debjit Majumder through close range efforts.

In the 39th minute, Roy Krishna teamed up with Ranawade on the right side of the box, but the fullback’s shot on the near post was thwarted by Majumder to keep scores level. Six minutes later, the crafty Ahmed Jahouh launched in a long ball from the centre of the park for Isak, that the winger controlled admirably well before taking a shot at Majumder’s reflexes, but to no avail.

It took the seasoned Krishna to do the honours deep into the second half. Fall played decoy to a corner by Jahouh, which had a vertical loop to it. Fall’s headed pass led to the unmarked Krishna, who leaped high to nod the ball in.

The goal didn’t peg Chennaiyin FC back. It instead fuelled it to find the winner, with Farukh Choudhary and Connor Shields taking precise shots from inside of the box in the following few minutes. The three points, however, came in its kitty through Jordan Murray, who jumped to hammer in a corner by Shields in the fourth minute of the added time of the second half to seal the game lock, stock, and barrel.