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The Kerala Blasters put an end to their dismal 14-game winless streak with a convincing 3-0 win over bottom-placed Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Friday in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL). Nelo Vingada's men deservedly secured maximum points to put an end to several hoodoos including their agonizing record at home that had seen them go without a win in 384 days.
Matej Poplatnik completed a brace by scoring on either side of half time to give the hosts a healthy advantage before highly-rated local talent Sahal Abdul Samad netted his first senior goal for the club in the 71st minute to complete the rout and effectively put the result beyond any doubt.
Despite their impressive win over Bengaluru FC during their last outing, John Gregory's defending champions turned on an insipid display and were eventually beaten comfortably as Kerala Blasters finally played like a cohesive unit. The result helped Kerala leapfrog Delhi Dynamos, who have played a fewer game, while Chennaiyin continue to remain rock-bottom of the ISL league table.
Without further delay, let's take a closer look at the best and worst performers from the derby under the lights at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in Kochi:
#5 Hit - Slavisa Stojanovic
Slavisa Stojanovic worked in tandem with Matej Poplatnik to inflict serious damage on Chennaiyin FC on the night. The Serbian drifted wide and cut inside whenever required and contributed effectively to almost everything the hosts managed to create inside the opponent’s final third.
The 30-year-old was always available to receive the ball under pressure and made a few good runs behind the visitors’ defence to unsettle their rhythm early on in the game.
Despite not managing to get on the score-sheet, Stojanovic grabbed the assist for Poplatnik’s second goal of the night when he cut the ball back into the area and put it on a plate for his team-mate to finish in the 55th minute.
The forward also had a penalty appeal turned down which on further inspection from replays suggested that on another day, it could have even been given in his favour. Stojanovic was equally adept at tracking back and was seen deep in his own half at a few instances in the first half when Pritam Singh needed cover to deal with CK Vineeth in the wide areas.
#4 Flop - Jeje Lalpekhlua
Jeje Lalpekhlua flattered to deceive yet again as Chennaiyin FC were condemned to their 12th defeat of the ongoing ISL season. The ‘Mizo Sniper’ failing to hit the bullseye has been a recurring theme this term and he yet again cut a frustrated figure leading the line for the defending champions.
Although he was not backed by efficient supply lines throughout the night, Jeje failed to rise to the occasion and was restricted severely by his counterparts in the heart of the hosts’ defence.
The 28-year-old’s effort was dire when he had a sniff at Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem’s goal in the first half and could not make the desired impact inside the opposition’s penalty area, where he is often deadly and decisive.
Despite struggling to make an impact this season, it seemed like Jeje had finally turned a corner when he netted his first goal of the campaign during the win over Bengaluru FC in their last outing. However, the performance in Kochi will further underline the glaring inconsistency that has haunted him so far this term.
#3 Hit - Sahal Abdul Samad
Sahal Abdul Samad capped off a memorable display against Chennaiyin FC by netting his first goal at senior level for Kerala Blasters.
The talented midfielder worked tirelessly in midfield and still had enough in his tank to push on from midfield and find the back of the net in the 71st minute to complete the rout for the hosts.
The 21-year-old’s rise to prominence at Kerala Blasters has been meteoric and he is now showing shades of what made him such a prolific goalscorer for the reserves team in the I-League second division last season.
Sahal was recently included in the squad for the AFC Under-23 championship qualifiers and would have staked a serious claim with that impressive goal.
The midfielder showed excellent determination to initiate a counter-attack and pushed forward before unleashing an unstoppable shot with his weak foot beyond Karanjit Singh, after the ball had sprung into his path following a series of deflections.
Sahal might have been lucky with how the ball ended up at his disposal before he took the shot, but the finish proved the undeniable quality he has to offer for both club and country in the future.
#2 Flop - Karanjit Singh
Karanjit Singh had a forgetful evening under the lights at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Friday. The Chennaiyin FC custodian has come in for criticism during various parts of the season and did no favours whatsoever to his declining reputation as a dependable option between the sticks.
Kerala opened the floodgates courtesy of a silly error from Karanjit and although he could not do an awful lot about the other goals conceded, questions will still be asked about his decision-making.
The 33-year-old parried a cross from Courage Pekuson right towards the path of Matej Poplatnik for the opening goal and never recovered from the early blow, just like the entire Chennaiyin team.
Part of Chennaiyin’s insipid display could even be attributed to the fact that Karanjit was indecisive and error-strewn so early on in the game.
And the three goals conceded by the shot-stopper against Kerala now means that he has conceded 25 goals from 12 appearances in the ISL this term and that certainly does not bode well if you’re the first-choice goalkeeper for the defending champions in any league.
#1 Hit - Matej Poplatnik
Matej Poplatnik conjured a typical centre-forward’s performance during the win over Chennaiyin FC.
The striker made a habit out of popping up at the right place at the right time and was duly rewarded with the goals that propelled the Kerala Blasters away from their series of unfortunate mishaps so far this season.
The Slovenian wore his heart on his sleeve, like he so often does, and linked up effectively with fellow Balkan attacker Slavisa Stojanovic to create a few opportunities early on.
Poplatnik threatened the visitors’ goal with a couple of headers before eventually finding the back of the net. Karanjit, who had prevented him from scoring early on, made a costly error by pushing the ball away into his path for Poplatnik to break the deadlock in the 23rd minute.
However, that was not the end of it for the Slovenian, who capitalised on another opportunity in the second half to complete his quota for the night. Kerala Blasters initiated a quick counter-attack and Stojanovic’s cut-back from the left provided the ideal setting for Poplatnik to score his fourth goal of the season.
The 26-year-old netted the first goal during the win over ATK on the opening day of the ISL this season and has now contributed massively in their next win after 135 days.
ALSO SEE: ISL Schedule | ISL Results | ISL Points table
