Chennai: Kerala
Blasters struck the match-winner deep into the extra time in a thrilling
second leg semifinal to book a berth for the summit clash of the
inaugural Hero Indian Super League football tournament on 4-3 aggregate
over Chennaiyin FC here on Tuesday. The edge-of-the-seat match ended 3-0
at regulation period and the match went into the extra time as the two
teams ended 3-3 on aggregate after the home and away games and Scotsman
Stephen Paul Pearson’s 117th minute strike made all the difference at
the end.
Kerala Blasters, who barely
scrapped into the semifinals, had come into today's match on a 3-0
advantage from their home win but they were reduced to 10 men in the
28th minute after Jamie McAllister was sent off for his second yellow
card for kicking Chennaiyin captain Bernard Mendy. A tenacious Kerala,
however, held onto their defensive solidity which had helped them to
come this far and finally emerged victorious in what could be the most
pulsating match of the entire tournament to book a place for the summit
clash in Mumbai on December 20.
Former
France international Mikael Silvestre put Chennaiyin FC ahead in the
42nd minute and they were leading 1-0 at the breather before the drama
unfolded in the second half.2006 World Cup winner Italian and Chennaiyin
FC coach-cum-player Marco Materazzi shot his spot kick wide early in
the second half in a re-take and then Kerala player Sandesh Jhingan
gifted an own goal to the home side in the 76th minute before Jeje
Lalpekhlua made it 3-0 for Chennaiyin in the 90th minute.
The
match finally ended with 10 men for both sides with Materazzi, who was
involved in the infamous headbutt incident with legendary Frenchman
Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final, was himself sent off in the
104th minute.Chennaiyin, who made it to the semifinals as league phase
table toppers, were superior throughout the match as they were on
one-man advantage from the 28th minute onwards, attacking and creating
chances while the visiting team were content with defending and making
attacks on the counter. The home side looked set to seal the issue in
the extra time but that was not to be.
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