ISL 2019-20: Chennaiyin FC 2-1 Hyderabad FC | 5 hits and flops

Chennaiyin FC broke their hoodoo with a 2-1 victory over Hyderabad FC in the 23rd game of the Indian Super League. The Blues were a testament to their character as they fought until the final second to secure their first victory of the season.

John Gregory's side had three guilt-edged opportunities in the first half but the mixture of misfortune and poor finishing forced the scoreline to stay intact. Robin Singh had the easiest chance of the game but the Indian striker failed to hit the target and take the lead.

The second half was lively, and the game intensified in the stoppage time with a late flurry of goals. Andre Schembri scored his first goal of the club in the 92nd minute. This was followed by a quick response from Matthew Kilgallon, who scored through a set-piece. When the game looked done and dusted, striker Nerijus Valskis was through on goal to find the back of the net and steal pivotal three points to lift some weight off John Gregory's shoulders.

There were several standout performers in this game. We shall look at five hits and flops as the two-time champions walk away with a victory for the first time this season.

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#1 Hit - Anirudh Thapa

Anirudh Thapa.

Anirudh Thapa was dropped in the previous game against Bengaluru FC but bounced back in style with a Man of the Match display. It was his third start of this season which saw him orchestrating in the defensive and offensive areas of the pitch to nullify the opponent's threats and win the midfield battle significantly.

The Indian international fed Thoi Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte on several occasions but their failure to convert those chances gave Hyderabad a lifeline until the second half stoppage time. He also took the shot twice to test the opponent custodian, Kamaljit Singh.

With an abundance of energy, Thapa ran the show with constant running and made two interceptions to his name. Since signing for the club, the midfielder has struggled to produce a string of consistent performances. He will be hoping to shine in the forthcoming weeks and gradually elevate his side to a top four finish.

#2 Flop - Masih Saighani

Masih Saighani did not have a great outing.

Masih Saighani was erratic with the ball and his runs without the ball didn't assist his side. The Afghan international had to cool down his teammate Rafael Crivellaro after the Brazilian criticized him for poor positioning in the first half.

Gregory focused on cutting down the leakage of goals and wanted Thapa to stick with Saighani. The former Abahani Dhaka defender was very slow in possession and didn't do justice to his place in the starting eleven - leaving too many gaps for Lucian Goian and Eli Sabia to cover when Hyderabad FC broke through the counter.

Marcelinho dropped deep in the first half and made an effort to feed Robin Singh and Bobo. Saighani was beaten by the pace of the opponents and couldn't find his feet to stop them. When the Brazilian was shifted to a further forward position, the Afghan had a slight relief as he had to recycle passes and move the ball to his liking.

#3 Hit- Andre Schembri

Schembri scored Chennaiyin FC's first goal of the season.

Rafael Crivellaro was running short of fitness in the second half, forcing John Gregory to make a change and bring in Andre Schembri. He had few touches before starting to contribute to Chennaiyin's opening couple of goals in this season.

Schembri was first to the ball inside the penalty box and took a couple of touches to position himself from a possible scoring position. With enough venom in the ball, Hyderabad's Kamaljit Singh was beaten for the first time in the near post in the 92nd minute. It was a beautifully executed goal to take the lead in the stoppage time.

In the final seconds of the game, Edwin Sydney launched a long ball in the hope of finding a Chennaiyin FC forward. Schembri won the duel and played a one-two with Valskis to win the match. Schembri played the ball to Valskis, who had to dribble past a defender and find the back of the net during a 1v1 position with the goalkeeper.

#4 Flop - Marko Stankovic

Marko Stankovic partnered Rohit Kumar in the defensive midfield position and struggled to contain the likes of Anirudh Thapa and Rafael Crivallero. The hosts had the free pass to run behind Hyderabad's defenders and create chances for fun.

The visitors failed to show the much-needed intention by opting to invite pressure and tried their hardest to hit Chennaiyin on the counter-attack. It proved costly as the whole Hyderabad midfield, headed by Stankovic, went for a walk.

During the first half of the match, Rafael Crivellaro had joy through the right side of the defence. His defence-splitting passes gave a constant headache to Hyderabad. Those incidents occurred because of the poor display from Marko Stankovic in the right side of the defensive area.

Marko Stankovic has played a crucial part in Hyderabad FC's campaign this season. The experienced midfielder will be hoping to replicate his old performances and help his side.

#5 Hit - Kamaljit Singh

Kamaljit Singh made plenty of saves for his side.

Hyderabad FC Skipper and shotstopper, Kamaljit Singh looked unbeatable between the sticks against Chennaiyin FC. The veteran goalkeeper made an exceptional save to deny Lallianzuala Chhangte in the first half. It was followed by a save from Edwin Sydney to keep the scoreline intact.

Anirudh Thapa spun a defender to take a strong shot from the penalty box. However, Kamaljit made sure to deny the midfielder by getting a strong hand to it. He was kept busy by the Chennaiyin FC forwards throughout the game.

When Rafael Crivellaro found Thoi Singh in the second half, the Hyderabad goalkeeper made himself big to get a fingertip and divert it into the side crossbar. He can't be faulted for the two goals Hyderabad have let in collectively. Valskis and Schembri took the ball away from the goalkeeper by placing it to perfection. Despite conceding two, Kamaljit was the best performer for Hyderabad FC.