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Chennaiyin FC handed Odisha FC their first loss in their 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 Monday.
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, as per an ISL press release. Simultaneously, it has brought the tenth-placed Owen Coyle-coached Chennaiyin side level on points (18) with the sixth-placed Bengaluru FC. More importantly, the Marina Machans have a game in hand (17) as compared to the Blues (18), and can aspire to bridge that slender gap in their coming fixtures. Chennaiyin has won five matches, drawn three and lost nine in 17 games. Coyle insisted before the game that Chennaiyin FC plays their best at home, whereas Odisha FC head coach Sergio Lobera acknowledged recently that every game is a final at this stage. The Juggernauts are also gearing up for the first leg of their Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup inter-zonal semi-final against the Central Coast Mariners in Sydney on Thursday, and hence a result like this could not have come at a more unfavourable time for them. However, the writing was on the wall throughout the game, with Chennaiyin FC producing one of their most coordinated 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 did not peg Chennaiyin FC back. It instead fuelled them 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 their 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. *Key Performer of the Match Connor Shields (Chennaiyin FC) Connor Shields played a host of roles tonight, from deep inside the midfield to setting up goals upfront. He completed 22 out of his 22 attempted passes, made four tackles, created six goal-scoring opportunities, and bagged the decisive assist that notched the home side this victory. Chennaiyin FC will next play Hyderabad FC on March 9, whereas Odisha FC will return to the ISL late this month on March 30 against Bengaluru FC. Brief Scores Chennaiyin FC 2 (Ankit Mukherjee 5', Jordan Murray 90+4') - 1 Odisha FC (Roy Krishna 78'). (ANI)
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