ATK bagged their first home victory of Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2018-19 with a 2-1 win over defending champions Chennaiyin FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Friday.

  • Kalu Uche opened the scoring for the hosts as early as the 3rd minute.
  • John Johnson registered his first goal for ATK with a header in the 13th minute.
  • Carlos Salom scored for the visitors with a smart header in the 17th minute.

The hosts got off to the best possible start when Uche pounced on a loose ball in the final third of the pitch. With the Chennaiyin defenders caught completely out of position, the Nigerian calmly slotted the ball past Karanjit Singh to score his first goal for ATK. Uche nearly doubled ATK’s lead a few minutes later when he got on the end of an exquisite pass from Manuel Lanzarote. However, his shot was struck straight at the keeper, allowing Chennaiyin to clear their lines.

But in the 12th minute, ATK were not to be denied again. A dangerous set-piece delivery from Lanzarote found John Johnson, who expertly headed the ball into the bottom corner to give ATK a healthy two-goal lead.

The defending champions hit back just eight minutes later, with Carlos Salom pulling a goal back. The Palestinian got on the end of a Francisco Fernandes cross and did the needful to beat Arindam Bhattacharja from close range.

Around the half-hour mark, ATK almost bagged their third goal of the match when Aiborlang Khongjee put in a dangerous ball across the face of goal. Youngster Komal Thatal was at the right place to meet the cross but couldn’t find the proper connection.

With a few minutes to go, the hosts would have one final chance to extend their lead. Lacklustre defending from Chennaiyin allowed Balwant Singh a free shot at goal. Nevertheless, Karanjit was on hand to prevent further damage and ensure that his team entered the break only one goal behind.

The visitors almost grabbed the equaliser, 10 minutes into the second half when Johnson almost committed a blunder in his own box. Salom pounced on the Englishman’s scuffed clearance before drilling in a shot, but he narrowly missed the far post.

As the match approached its last quarter, Chennaiyin had another decent opportunity to grab an equaliser. A lofted ball from substitute Laldinliana Renthlei fell perfectly to the head of Gregory Nelson, who directed his header towards the bottom corner. Bhattacharja got down quickly to get his hand to the header and kept out the danger.

After a few half chances for either side, Steve Coppell’s men had the chance to kill the game off. A misunderstanding in the Chennaiyin backline saw Jayesh Rane win the ball down the right flank. He skipped past a couple of challenges before cutting the ball back for Uche. The Nigerian was unable to keep his shot on target, as the ball landed on the roof of the net. The miss, however, proved inconsequential as the hosts held on to register their first home victory of the season.

HERO OF THE MATCH

Central to ATK’s attacking exploits tonight was Manuel Lanzarote. The Spanish midfielder was influential in the first half, providing a series of impressive deliveries for his strikers up front. ATK’s captain also bagged an assist on the night, with an inch-perfect set piece delivery to John Johnson for his team’s second goal.

CLUB AWARDS

Club Award – ATK

Swift Limitless Player of the Match – Gerson Vieira

DHL Winning Pass of the Match – Manuel Lanzarote

ISL Emerging Player of the Match – Jerry Lalrinzuala

Hero of the Match - Manuel Lanzarote

WHAT’S NEXT?

ATK will host an in-form Bengaluru FC in their next fixture on October 31, while the defending champions will still be hunting for their first victory of the campaign when they host Mumbai City FC on November 3.

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Chennaiyin FC 2018-2019Match Report