CHENNAI: Whenever Kerala Blasters come to town to face Chennaiyin FC, ISL history suggests the match will end in a draw. That proved the case again as the teams played out a 0-0 draw at JN Stadium on Thursday. The home side have now drawn the most number of games (5) against Kerala.The result means Chennaiyin climb to eighth with five points from nine games, while Blasters remain seventh with eight. Realistically, the defending champions still have a sliver of hope but that window is getting narrower by the day.
One could hear fans blame the release of Rajnikanth-starrer 2.0 for the lack of a more vociferous crowd. The few that turned up were witness to Chennaiyin dominating a home game for once this season but the usual lack of cutting edge in the final third let them down. Two gilt-edged chances fell the home side’s way, one in the first half to Thoi Singh, while Andrea Orlandi could not guide the ball into the net in the second period. Thoi’s chance was the easiest of the lot as Jeje Lalpekhlua broke the off-side trap and laid it on a plate for the right-winger who fluffed his chance with only goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh to beat.
Did the two-time champions play with more intent? Yes. Did Gregory learn something new from the performance? “It’s frustrating to say the least. We played better, created so many chances but could not convert even a one-on-one chance. That’s the difference from last season. We would grind out results last time around.
Jeje started the game up top but his lacklustre form continued. Even substitute Carlos Salom could not influence the game after coming on in the second period. This was the third game where Chennaiyin’s strikers did not manage even a shot on target. “The best players make the best decisions. They play with the brain. I can help players improve but can’t get a magic bottle of confidence for the lads.”
David James will be the happier coach of the two. They managed to break their losing streak of three games but created very little in terms of chances except for a Seiminlen Doungel shot which struck the post late on. “At least we did not lose four in a row. We could have nicked it in the end. We needed a win but I have lost both times I have come here. So in that respect, a clean sheet is a confidence-booster,” the former England keeper said.
Chennaiyin host ATK next and Gregory knows it is a great chance to right today’s wrong, especially with ATK struggling. “A huge December is on the cards and we need nine points from our next three games if we are to keep our fate in our hands.”