CHENNAI: When Chennaiyin FC's head coach Clifford Miranda looked up the sky to pray after the final whistle was blown, it seemed like the luck smiled on him. After having to bear the criticism of his players not finding the back of the net, he saw his men rout defending champions East Bengal FC 5-3 in the Indian Super League at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Saturday.
But soon after his prayers and handshake with visiting coach Antonio Habbas, Miranda never wore a smile. While his attackers may have won him his first match of the Indian Super League season, the defenders almost gave him a scare, as East Bengal saw a sliver of hope in the dying moments.
However, Chennaiyin were able to see through this match. Madih Talal was the star of the first half until he was substituted off as he suffered a niggle. His replacement Lalhriatpuia Chawngthu did not disappoint. Finding pockets of space to keep the opposition centre backs busy, he brought control to Chennaiyin's attack. With foreign attacker Ramon Tanque dropping deep, it allowed the wingers to get into the box for opportunities. Brison Fernandes, who was signed from FC Goa, got into scoring territory for the two goals he scored. Then, Chennaiyin's penalty just before half-time came when Fernandes, coming in from the left wing, was clipped by the East Bengal defender. Ramon Tanque was given the ball for the spot-kick and he could not have deposited the ball into the bottom right corner any better.
In the second half, Irfan Yadwad scored two goals between eight minutes. What would bring a sigh of relief is how Yadwad showed composure in the 67th minute. Feeding off a ball from Tanque, Yadwad timed his run well, was one-on-one keeper and curled it around to put it in the back of the net. There was a sense of calm in his finish, something the coach has wanted from his attackers.
