Dismantling Tiruchirapalli DFA 5-1 in their opening fixture of the TFA Shield at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, title favourites Chennai Customs warmed up to stiffer challenges that await them.
Strike partners M Ramesh and U Jeyakumar combined well — in the process course a brace apiece — to linchpin the CFA senior division champions to a facile win over a clueless opponent.
The district side’s resilience lasted only eight minutes as Jeyakumar neatly tucked an incisive cross from M Ramesh, who sped down the left flank, out-sped his marksman before serving it to Jeyakumar whose poaching skill was had brightly shone in their league-winning run this April.
The chemistry they exhibited augurs well for the Customs’ title-bid, which would be an ideal fillip ahead of their fresh league season. Ramesh is more of an enforcer, occasionally indulging in the maverick. But his biggest collaborators are his poise and ball-sense. He can be seldom seen lunging for the ball, for almost every time he anticipates the ball so perfectly.
So he hadn’t to warrant anything extraordinary for Customs’ second goal. P Sudhakar’s accurate pass was coursed into the mesh. Though the Tiruchirapalli custodian M Manikandan saved his first shy, Ramesh was alert enough for the rebound. Like good players he makes the game look so simple. Jeyakumar increased their lead in the 30th minute to wrap off the contest.
Though TFA pulled a goal back, through an exquisite finish by N Raja Prasanth, Ramesh scored two minutes before half time to send Tiruchirapalli teetering at 4-1. M Satish scored the last goal in the 68th minute.
Customs would meet RCF Kapurthala, who ousted Tamil Nadu Police 5-4 in penalty shootout after the match had ended 1-1 in regulation time, in the quarterfinals.
Results:
Chennai Customs 5 (U Jeyakumar 8, 30, M Ramesh 30, 43, M Satish 68) bt Tiruchirapalli DFA 1(N Raja Prasanth 33). RCF Kapurthala (Sunil Kumar 80) 1 drew Tamil Nadu Police 1 (Ramanan 84).