After a chastening 3-0 defeat to NorthEast United in Guwahati in their last outing, league leaders Chennaiyin put an increased emphasis on their defensive discipline against regional rivals Kerala Blasters. Led by captain on the night Bernard Mendy, the Chennaiyin back line snuffed out any danger posed by the Blasters attack. It was only Chennaiyin’s third clean sheet of the season, and it provided the platform to snatch a classic smash-and-grab away win, with Bruno Pelissari’s stunning solo goal in the 87th minute earning Chennaiyin a win in the ‘South Indian derby'. The win meant Chennaiyin completed the double over the rivals, having won 2-1 in Chennai on October 21. Skipper Mendy was pleased with the win, with him and central defensive partner Mikaël Silvestre forming the bedrock for the improved defensive performance. In an exclusive post-match interview with indiansuperleague.com, Mendy also spoke in glowing terms about the Kerala crowd, with the match drawing the largest attendance in Kochi so far.How do you feel about the win?In the last game against NorthEast we didn’t play so well. We conceded three goals in the first 20 minutes. The second half was much better, but we lost the game. If you start the game well, then you can win the game. So today I’m really proud that we beat Kerala.How is it playing in front of so many fans here?It’s amazing! I want to say thank you to the fans of Kerala for coming here and supporting their team. It’s unbelievable.How is it playing alongside Silvestre?It’s great playing with him because he’s got so much experience. He’s my big brother and I love him. When he plays, it’s easy for me, because he gets the runners behind me. I want to say thank you to him.How do you think you all have improved as a team since the last game?We played well. We played strongly today. If you saw the first 20 minutes, we were on the up. It doesn’t matter if you don’t score goals – if you saw us play, we were happy today. We knew that in the end we would win the game.Did the manager tell you anything at half time?He told us to continue how we were playing and to be strong.
