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Chennaiyin FC extended their winning run in the ISL to three games after their thrilling 3-2 win against defending champions ATK in Chennai. In a contest that perked up after the interval, Chennaiyin were forced to battle hard for the points as ATK refused to go quietly, pegging Chennaiyin back twice after they'd taken the lead. A second Jeje Lalpekhlua goal though in the final minute of regulation time got Chennaiyin the three points that sees them go to the top of the table.
Chennaiyin coach John Gregory was rightfully delighted with the win and with how his side kept going despite ATK coming back strong.
"We take a lot of credit for the win and the way we never gave up. We got in front twice and gave it away twice. Still we weren't happy to accept a point," said Gregory.
He continued: "We keep doing it week after week, just keep going. It's a testament to the fitness level of my players and their willingness to keep working and keep going when things aren't going in our favour."
The first half though was much more sedate with both teams struggling to put together good moves. Gregory seemed upset on the sidelines by the end of the half at his team's inability to construct proper moves. The former Aston Villa manager said it had to do with his team's use of the football.
"I was frustrated yes because we're better than that. When you walk out onto that pitch, there's big pressure. There was a lot of expectation and tension in the team. Sometimes you have to relax and use the ball a bit better, something we didn't. We needed to use the ball better than what we did," Gregory explained.
"A lot of that is down to myself. Maybe, I need to improve that aspect of the game on the training ground. But come half-time, I was happy to go in at 0-0."
However, Gregory said that in the end it was the win that counted the most and praised the efforts of the players who came in off the bench too.
“We can certainly play better than what we did tonight, but it's all about results. You can ask any coach, any team owner if they watch their team beautiful football and losing. We won the game tonight," said the Englishman.
"You could see our squad tonight. I had to make a couple of changes here and there and the boys who came on as substitutes had an impact on the game. So it's all about our team. We're a very close-knit bunch of lads which I think was evident when we scored the third goal."
For this game, Chennaiyin started without their Brazilian midfielder Raphael Augusto with Spaniard Jaime Gavilan playing instead. The Chennaiyin revealed that an injury is what kept him out.
“He's been carrying a knock. Each week he's been going out onto the field not at a 100%. As you know all players play with some sort of injuries. He's had three very tough matches and had three very good games for us. He's expended a lot of energy in those three games. So we decided to give him a rest tonight. He will be up for contention against Mumbai City, but he'll certainly be feeling a lot better with a couple of days rest.”
Jeje scored two of Chennaiyin's three goals on the night and was instrumental in the team's forward play. Previously there had been some who had been critical about the Indian forward's lack of goals and Gregory was very happy about his striker opening his account.
"Obviously delighted for Jeje who could get off the mark and shut people up," quipped Gregory.
He also spoke about how he enjoyed his trademark celebration.
“His (Jeje) sniper impression was lovely to see. Hopefully, we'll see it again on Sunday and the rest of the season. It was the first time I was seeing it live. He has been playing very well for us. and today he got his rewards.”
While happy with the win, he also had some words of consolation for his team's beaten opponents on the night.
"They've got some outstanding players. They have a very good team. Their position in the league is false I feel at the moment. Once they get a victory under their belt they might be a totally different team.”
He continued: “Robbie Keane made a difference for them when he came on. They will be challenging once he gets fully fit. They'll still be a team we'll have to look out for when that happens."
Before the match began, a minute's silence was held to mark the passing of a groundsman of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. And Gregory at the very outset dedicated the win to him.
“Pre-match, we had a minute's silence for our former groundsman Rajeev who unfortunately passed away last week. We dedicate this victory to him and his memory. He's done a fantastic job with playing surface here. He's really going to be sorely missed not just because of his work, but also because as a person he was a lovely, lovely guy. We're sorry to have lost him. The team would like to dedicate this victory to him.”
