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Strikers Connor Shields and Irfan Yadwad struck a goal each in either half as Chennaiyin FC beat Gokulam Kerala FC 2-0 in the Kalinga Super Cup 2024 Group C match at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on Tuesday.
Shields scored the opening goal in the 25th minute before substitute Yadwad netted the second in the 64th minute to hand Chennaiyin a crucial victory. Owen Coyle's men will now take on Mumbai City FC in their final group-stage match on Sunday. The top team from each group will qualify for the semi-finals as the winner of the tournament will also secure themselves a spot in the 2024-25 AFC Champions League 2 Group stages. Chennaiyin, who drew against Punjab FC in their opening match, began cautiously and took time to settle down against the Kozhikode-based outfit. They created a chance as early as in the fourth minute but Rahim Ali's left-footed shot from close range went wide off the post. Chennaiyin grew in confidence as the game progressed and Shields broke the deadlock to put them ahead with a 1-0 lead. Ankit Mukherjee made an over-lapping run to find the Scottish striker, who converted it with a fluent strike from a tight angle. The Marina Machans continued to play aggressively as play resumed after the break and controlled the ball well in the opposition's half. They doubled the lead in the 64th minute when Yadwad received a long ball from Lazar Cirkovic and slotted it through the goalkeeper's legs. Trailing by two goals, Gokulam Kerala struggled to retain possession and things got even worse for them when they were reduced to 10 men with more than 20 minutes left in the match. Rishad was sent off with a red card for bringing down Yadwad as the last man. Chennaiyin did enough to keep their grip on the match until the final whistle to complete a comfortable win which also ended the Malabarians' challenge in the tournament. (ANI)
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