Create
Notifications

AFC Cup LIVE | Chennaiyin FC v Minerva Punjab Live Commentary, Score, Updates

The match kicks off at 7:30pm IST
Updated: 03 April 2019 21:22 IST - Published: April, 03 2019 04:56 PM IST
...
That's it from us tonight. This is Aaditya Narayan signing off, at the end of my second live stint of the day. I'm off for a biryani, hope you all have a good night too. Toodle-oo
...
FULL-TIME: Chennaiyin FC 0-0 Minerva Punjab FC

Historic night, in some ways, as both Minerva and Chennaiyin put on the board their first ever points in Asian competition. But that's about the only thing that can be remembered from tonight. 

It was a game of chances for Chennaiyin, who were profligate. Raphael and Vineeth had plenty of presentable opportunities which they didn't take, when they arguably should have. 
...
90+3' PEEEEPP! That's full-time, and it's goalless
...
90' Cross comes in from Mailson, who's on the right wing, but Vineeth is offside. 
...
88' Thapa plays Vineeth through on the left side of the penalty area. He takes it on his left foot and gets a shot, which he skews, and the ball goes nowhere near the target. 
...
87' Another shot from distance, this time from Raphael. Again Arshdeep moves around in time and keeps hold of it. 
...
85' Another attempted curler from Vineeth goes wide. He's looking up to the heavens now. 
...
84' Amandeep takes a shot from distance, but it's gone well wide. 
...
81' Raphael gives the Minerva defenders a happy (maybe not) run around the edge of the area, as he looks to make space for a right-footed shot. He does make space, gets the shot away, but it's straight at Arshdeep
...
79' Minerva, too, make their final change of the day, as Thoiba Singh comes on

ON - Thoiba Singh
OFF - Samuel Lalmuanpuia
...
79' Chennaiyin make another change, as fan favourite Dhanpal Ganesh comes on

ON - Dhanpal Ganesh
OFF - Thoi Singh
...
78' Raphael looks for a through-ball to Vineeth, but that's easy for Arshdeep to charge out and catch
...
76' With Chennaiyin piling on more pressure, Minerva have more defending to do, and it's Kareem now who has to take more evasive action and concede another corner. 
...
74' Another Chennaiyin corner has landed at the feet of Vineeth in the box, but his left-footed shot has gone well wide, and just evaded a lunging Raphael, too
...
73' Chennaiyin have forced another corner, as Raphael's shot is blocked. 

Then Raphael and Gregory have a go at each other, for what, we don't know
...
73' This time, it's a better delivery from Thapa, but that's cleared by kareem with Mailson in close attendance. 
...
72' Thapa's low corner is hacked behind for another corner.
...
72' Dinliana crosses in towards Jeje, and Kareem clears. He looked to clear upfield but skewed it behind for a corner. 
...
70' Vineeth goes for a repeat of his wonder-strike from a few days ago, but this time his shot is straight at the keeper, and Arshdeep has an easy catch. 
...
69' Chennaiyin have a corner, after Akashdeep blocks Thoi's cross into the box.
...
Another Minerva Substitution

ON - Akash Sangwan
OFF - Makan Chothe
...
67' Samuel looks to play in Chothe with a nifty through-pass, but Karanjit is off his line quickly to smother that one. 
...
66' Sabia, Mailson and Augusto look to play a set-piece routine, but the shot from Augusto is blocked by the rushing man from the Minerva wall.
...
66' Raphael Augusto teases Khalif Al Hassan with superb footwork, and eventually wins the free-kick in a dangerous area! This is a big chance for Chennaiyin!
...
64' Thapa's free-kick is met at the far-post by Mailson, but the header is off target. 
...
64' Chennaiyin now have a free-kick on the left flank, after Souvik brings down Tondonba. Thapa will take...
...
63' THOI HAS MISSED A SITTER! Superb cross from the left flank by Tondonba, and Thoi has arrived in perfect time at the far post, only to put his header wide of the far post. 
...
61' Thapa drives forward with the ball and finds Thoi on the right flank, but his low cross is too close to the 'keeper. 
...
60' Thapa takes the corner, and it's cleared to Herd on the edge of the box. The Aussie has handled it, and Minerva have a clearing free-kick
...
60' Thoi Singh is brought down on the right flank by Makan Chothe, but the referee is unmoved. The ball has gone off him for a corner for Chennaiyin, though. 
...
57' Chennaiyin make their first change of the day 

ON - Anirudh Thapa
OFF - Halicharan Narzary
...
55' Another long shot, this time from Khalif Al Hassan! Karanjit pushes it behind for a corner again. 
...
54' That's the first yellow card of the game, and Tondonba Singh goes in the back for bringing Al Amna down. 
...
53' First substitution of the game, and it's from Minerva. 

ON - Moinuddin Khan
OFF - Prabhjot Singh
...
53' The game has become so scrappy. 
...
48' The game is pretty much following the same pattern it did in the first half, with Chennaiyin dominating the ball, and Minerva looking to spring on the break. 
...
46' PEEEPP!! Minerva get us underway in the second half
...
HALF-TIME: Chennaiyin FC 0-0 Minerva Punjab FC

Chennaiyin have been the better side, but they haven't really had a clear-cut chance from open play, since Jeje Lalpekhlua's early shot from close range was blocked. Sabia and Mailson had chances off corners that they didn't convert. 

Minerva had chances with a couple on long shots, and then had Primus hitting the crossbar with a header. 

They're still in the game, and that's what they'd have wanted. Anybody's game with 45 minutes to go. 
...
45+1' PEEEPPP! That's half-time, at the end of a lively first half in Ahmedabad. 
...
45+1' Mailson finds Narzary with an awesome cross-field ping. The left-winger looks to square it first-time, and puts it in a superb area, but there's no Chennaiyin player attacking it. 
...
45+1' Thoi takes a shot from distance, but slips as he's striking it. 
...
44' Narzary crosses to the near post where Jeje attacks the ball, but Arshdeep has dived on it first, and fisted it away to safety.
...
43' Thoi again beats his man on the right flank, but his cross is neatly cleared away by Souvik Das. 
...
41' Prabhjot is down, and play has been stopped. 
...
39' Raphael Augusto plays a one-two with the Minerva Punjab defender, before taking a shot on goal, but the shot is high, and wouldn't have troubled a second goal above the already-installed one. 
...
38' Thoi teases Akashdeep on the right flank, before beating his man and putting a cross in, but it's easily caught by Arshdeep. 
...
36' Screams for a Minerva penalty! Referee says nothing doing! That's a scuffed shot from Kareem, and Prabhjot was arriving at the far post, where he was met by Herd, but the Aussie was deemed to have got the ball. Replays show it was not a bad call from the ref, although debatable. 
...
33' Karanjit with a clanger! Al Amna's shot is deflected and looped into the 'keepers hands, but he's somehow dropped that and let it go behind for a corner. 
...
34' First signs of a decent passing move from Minerva, through which they get Amandeep in space on the right flank, but his low cross is easily gobbled up by Eli Sabia. 
...
30' The corner causes some confusion in the box, and Primus has hit the post, I think. Let off for Chennaiyin. 

More on:

LIVE CHAT online