CHENNAI: Despite an overwhelming scoreline of 4-1 that suggests dominance, ICF would consider themselves extremely lucky to have squeezed in full points from the match against lowly Chennai Football Club in the St Joseph’s-Chennai Football Association Senior Division League.
Apart from a 20-minute spell in the first half and for occasional bursts in the latter half, ICF lived dangerously as they met with unprecedented resolve and spirit from bottom-dwellers CFC. Even their early goals — achieved in the space of eleven minutes — weren’t a reflection of their superiority.
At least two of their first three goals were freakishly fashioned. The second of Fredy’s strike, in the 12th minute, was a lucky rebound after Jegan’s shot was fisted off by goalkeeper K Sakthivel.
The third goal owed to an inexplicable error of Sakthivel’s judgment. Guru slipped in his attempt for the goal, and hence couldn’t put any power behind it. But it trickled past Sakthivel, who made a mess of clearance that it sneaked right beneath his stretched left-arm.
Nonetheless, the three early strikes put ICF in the driver’s seat. But CFC recovered remarkable and piled pressure on the ICF defence, which got creakier by the minute and struggled to match the pace of their counterparts, prompting ICF to make first-half substitutions.
As if proving that their first goal by Pratheesh in the 24th minute wasn’t a mere occurrence, they persistently slipped into the ICF’s box, and came close to scoring on numerous occasions but for poor finishing. KV Gunasekar was wonderfully positioned to drive in a loopy volley, but he misjudged his shot past the post.
Then was the match’s talking point. CFC were convinced that M Kupparaj’s pearler had crossed the line after thudding the crossbar.
But a woefully positioned linesman ruled against and CFC were left protesting, but to no avail. But impressively, they didn’t lose their cool and continued pressuring ICF.
But luck evaded them again, as D Raju’s thunderous strike from 30 yards thudded off the far post after Pratheesh couldn’t direct a curling ball from his right.
The striker was caught on the turn and thus didn’t get the appropriate connection.
And Jegan Sr’s strike in the second half curtained put the match beyond CFC’s ambit.
ICF, thus, have topped the chart, but their title prospects are still bleak.