ISL 2017/18: Match 56: ATK vs Chennaiyin FC, Player Ratings

Match 56 of the Hero Indian Super League saw two-time ISL champions take on season 2 champions Chennaiyin FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, West Bengal.

The teams came into the fixture on the back of losses in their previous match as Chennaiyin FC went down 3-1 away from home against NorthEast United in Guwahati. Tonight's hosts ATK also played away in their last match and ended up on the losing side in a 3-0 loss to FC Pune City in Pune.

Chennaiyin FC stood third on the table at the start of the game with a total of 20 points from eleven matches, whereas, their opponent tonight, ATK, is in the bottom half on the eight spot with just 12 points from their ten matches. ATK has seen a managerial change as former director Ashley Westwood has taken charge after the departure of Teddy Sheringham.

Chennaiyin FC won 2-1 after going down at the halftime mark when they scored two goals in the second half and now rise to the top of the ISL standings leapfrogging FC Pune City at the summit.

ATK

ATK lost their second game on the trot (Image Credits: ISL Media)

Debjit Majumder (5.5/10) - The ATK keeper had virtually no action in the first half as the defence did well to keep the attacks at bay. Majumder was beaten twice in the second half - once from a corner headed in by Alves and the second when he fumbled and Jeje capitalized to score past him.

Prabir Das (6.5/10) - The former Mohun Bagan right-back was kept busy on the pitch by the dangerous Gregory Nelson on the right flank. Prabir, who is generally very active on the attacking front was subdued as he mostly resorted to defensive duties tonight.

Jordi Montel (7/10) - The Spaniard did a good job in central defence as he kept the threat of Jeje Lalpekhlua in check. Montel organized the ATK defence well

Conor Thomas (7/10) - Thomas played in defence today instead of his usual defensive midfield position, in place of Tom Thorpe . He did a good job alongside Jordi Montel as they worked well to contain the Chennaiyin FC attack.

Keegan Pereira (6.5/10) - The left-back for the home side was also somewhat restricted in the attacking department as Chennaiyin FC kept the pressure on the home side on the flanks. He did move ahead in attack when ATK were looking to equalize in the match and put in good crosses for the attackers.

Ryan Taylor (5.5/10) - The Englishman, who had got a slight knock in the early minutes of the match, held on and played in the defensive midfield role for the champions. He was substituted five minutes before the first half ended as a result of the knock suffered.

Shankar Sampingraj (6.5/10) - The Karnataka man was the second defensive midfielder for ATK alongside Ryan Taylor. Shankar did well with his defensive tracking as ATK aimed to stem the flow of the Chennaiyin FC attack. He was replaced in the second half by Ashutosh Sharma.

Rupert Nongrum (7/10) - The 21-year old former Shillong Lajong midfielder played in the central midfield ahead of Ryan Taylor and did well to move the ball around well for the home team. He combined well with Jayesh Rane and kept looking for runs from attackers in front of him.

David Cotterill (7/10) - The Welshman played on the right wing for the home side until Ryan Taylor was substituted off and was handy with his crosses from the right. Cotterill also took some long-range efforts on the Chennaiyin FC goal but could not hit the target.

Martin Paterson (8/10) - The Northern Irishman who made his debut tonight in the Indian Super League played as the lone man up ahead for the home side in attack. Paterson grabbed a goal in his first match as he scored from a cross from Jayesh Rane.

Jayesh Rane (7.5/10) - The former Chennaiyin FC winger was a lively presence in the attack for ATK as he made a lot of runs on the flank. He provided the assist for the first ATK goal as he crossed it into the box for Paterson to score past Karanjit Singh.

Substitutes:

Zequinha (N/A) - The Portuguese winger came on around the 42nd minute as he replaced Ryan Taylor who had picked up a knock. In an unfortunate turn of events though, he too suffered a knock and was replaced after just 15 minutes of action.

Hitesh Sharma (5/10) - The youngster came on at the hour mark to replace the injured Zequinha in the midfield. Hitesh made good runs in the box and had a couple of chances at the Chennaiyin FC goal.

Ashutosh Mehta (5/10) - The former Mumbai City FC man came on in place of the injured Shankar Sampingraj and played in central defence taking the place of Conor Thomas, who pushed ahead as ATK looked for the equalizer in the match.

Chennaiyin FC

Karanjit Singh (6.5/10) - Like Debjit in the ATK goal, Karanjit Singh too had a quiet first half of the match as both sides were reserved in attack. Singh was beaten just before the halftime mark as Paterson scored past him after he had initially saved his header.

Inigo Calderon (7.5/10) - The former Brighton and Hove Albion man was at his usual best on the right flank with his runs up and down the line. He played with great commitment and put in good crosses for the attackers, and ran back to defend whenever the team needed him.

Henrique Sereno (7/10) - The captain for the away side was a busy man in defence as he was kept busy by the debutante Martin Paterson, even getting into a couple of altercations with the Irishman. Sereno was strong in his tackles and won many aerial duels in the box to keep the ATK attempts out.

Mailson Alves (8/10) - The Brazilian was the no-nonsense defender with hefty clearances from the backline and strong tackling. He scored his first goal in the ISL when he headed in the corner from Anirudh Thapa in the 52nd minute.

Jerry Lalrinzuala (7.5/10) - The young left-back had an industrious night on the field as he kept attacking the ATK side on his flank with his movement and crosses from the left side. He did well to diffuse the threat of David Cotterill and did not allow the Welshman to assert control.

Gregory Nelson (7.5/10) - The Dutchman was a menace in the Chennaiyin attack as he kept ATK right-back Prabir Das on his toes throughout the match with his constant movement and incisive runs.

Anirudh Thapa (8/10) - Anirudh Thapa was a livewire in the Chennaiyin FC midfield moving the ball well around the park. He was on setpiece duty and grabbed the assist for the goal scored by Mailson Alves. He was adjudged the Hero of the Match for his performance tonight.

Dhanpal Ganesh (7/10) - The defensive midfielder played just in front of the Chennaiyin defence as he played the first line of defence for the visitors. He did well to win balls in the air and made a lot of tackles making it difficult for the ATK attackers.

Raphael Augusto (7.5/10) - Raphael Augusto was the major creative influence for the away side, creating the chances from the middle of the park. He pulled all the strings of the Chennaiyin attack as he kept searching for good runs from his fellow attackers.

Francisco Fernandes (6/10) - Francisco Fernandes was a lively presence in the Chennai attack as he kept the ATK left-back occupied. He made good runs behind the defence and combined well with Inigo Calderon on the right flank.

Jeje Lalpekhlua (8/10) - Jeje had a comparatively quiet night as per his usual standards in the first half as ATK defence did well to contain his threat. He got his name on the scoresheet after the hour mark when he capitalized on a mistake by Karanjit Singh.

Substitutes:

Thoi Singh (5/10) - Thoi Singh came on for the final 20 minutes as he replaced Francisco Fernandes on the wing, with John Gregory introducing fresh legs into the attack.

Jaime Gavilan (5/10) - The Spanish midfielder came on in the 80th minute of the match as he replaced Raphael Augusto in the central midfield.