FATORDA, Dec 11: Chennaiyin FC preserved their unbeaten start to the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) season after a 1-1 draw against ATK Mohun Bagan at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Margao, Goa on Saturday.
The draw also put an end to ATK Mohun Bagan’s two-match losing run.
Liston Colaco (18’) put the Mariners in front but Vladimir Koman (45’) equalised for the Marina Machans just before the interval.
Colaco had the first attempt of the game when he shot from distance trying to catch Vishal Kaith out in the sixth minute but his effort was not on target.
The Goan, though, broke Chennaiyin FC’s resistance in the 18th minute when he slotted home past Kaith after being found by an inch-perfect through ball from Roy Krishna.
Koman came close to restoring parity in the 27th minute as he drilled a low shot that just evaded the target after a brilliant passing move. Thapa then came very close to scoring two minutes later when Chhangte fed him with a pinpoint cross but his shot from that cutback was deflected away from the target.
Chennaiyin FC kept up the pressure on the Mariners as the corner count increased for Bandovic’s men.
Chennaiyin were not to be denied at the stroke of half time after Koman fired past Amrinder after latching onto a loose ball following a long throw-in.
The two sides were level pegging at the interval but Chennaiyin FC had ended the first half as the stronger team. Subsequently, neither side could conjure up the winning goal.
The point that stretched Chennaiyin FC’s unbeaten run this season to four games lifted them to third in the table while the Mariners remained in sixth place. (Agencies)
