ISL Live | Kerala Blasters v Chennaiyin FC Live | Score, Result, Commentary, Updates

Kerala Blasters get a win at home after a year and for the first time this season. Matej Poplatnik scores 2 and Sahal Abdul Samad gets his first goal of the season to give Kerala Blasters the three points and bragging rights from the Southern Derby.
The defeat piles further misery on Chennaiyin FC, who could finish bottom of the table this season. The 3 points takes Blasters up to eighth, above Delhi Dynamos, with 14 points in 16 games.
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90+5' DHEERAJ WITH A BRILLIANT SAVE!
Ei Sabia's cross to CK Vineeth and the former Kerala Blasters star brings it down for Mailson.
The Chennaiyin FC captain with a glance to nod it home but Dheeraj punches it off to keep the clean sheet.
Full time in Kochi.

90+4' CK Vineeth wins one last free-kick for Kerala Blasters after being pushed to the ground by Cyril Kali and Nikola Krcmarevic. Isaac curls it in and Dheeraj takes no chance.

90+1' Prasanth gets involved and pushes it through for Poplatnik but Karanjit gets to the ball first.

Four minutes added.

89' OFFSIDE!
Thoi Singh chests it down for Jeje Lalpekhlua, who is flagged offside but still cannot shoot it past Dheeraj Singh.

87' A rash tackle by Cyril Kali on Anirudh Thapa and that earns him a booking. Needless. Nasty.
Yellow - Cyril Kali (Kerala Blasters)

84' Mailson Alves towers over his marker to get a header off a corner but Dheeraj gets in front of it.

83' Stojanovic tricks his way past Laldinliana on the left and cuts it back for Poplatnik. But the striker leaves it thinking there's a runner behind him.
No one gets to it.

80' Substitution - Kerala Blasters
OFF - Seiminlen Doungel
ON - Prasanth K

79' ATTEMPT!
Isaac gets involved after being set up by CK Vineeth. He tries to go for goal but it's a weak effort and Dheeraj collects.

77' Substitution - Chennaiyin FC
OFF - Gregory Nelson
ON - Isaac Vanmalsawma

71' WONDERFUL! WHAT A WAY TO CAP IT OFF!
Another gift for Kerala Blasters.
Sahal Samad breaks on the counter. He keeps on going by himself. He decides against passing to the flank and passes to Doungel, who plays it back.
The ball deflects off Mailson and lands at Sahal's feet, who zooms into the box and tucks it into the top-left corner for his first goal of the season.
Sahal started that move in the defensive third and goes all the way to the other end. Just brilliant.

68' Plenty of challenges flying around but Gregory Nelson ends up getting booked.
Yellow - Gregory Nelson (Chennaiyin FC)

67' Substitution - Kerala Blasters
OFF - Courage Pekuson
ON - Nikola Krcmarevic

64' CALLS FOR A PENALTY!
Stojanovic goes down to a challenge inside the box from Laldinliana. But referee is not convinced and denies Blasters a spot-kick.

62' Substitution - Chennaiyin FC
OFF - Francisco Fernandes
ON - Thoi Singh

62' MISS!
Doungel squares it back for Sahal at the centre of the box but the midfielder is unable to direct it towards the goal.

59' Mail from Mailson!
It's a decent long-range effort after the lay up from the free-kick.
The Chennaiyin FC captain Mailson Alves' shot forces Dheeraj Singh into making a full-stretched save.
Kerala can breathe easy.

57' Quite unfortunate the way Chennaiyin had to concede that. They had a player down and he goes off now.
OFF - Chris Herd
ON - Anirudh Thapa

55' POPPPPPPPPLAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTNIKKKK!!
Chris Herd slips and Kerala Blasters move the ball up. Doungel passes it to Sahal on the right, who chips the ball towards the far post for Stojanovic instead of taking a shot.
Unable to shoot, Stojanovic cuts it back for Poplatnik, who smashes it into the goal for his second of the night.

52' Activity on the Kerala Blasters bench as Kizito's game comes to a premature end due to an injury.
OFF - Keziron Kizito
ON - Cyril Kali

50' There's a concern for Kerala Blasters as Keziron Kizito goes off the pitch for treatment.

48' CHANCE!
Sahal's delivery from a free-kick is aimed at Seiminlen Doungel but the forward's header flows wide.

46' The proceedings resume after the break.
Chennaiyin FC push up straightaway. Gregory Nelson's cross from the left is dropped deep for CK Vineeth, whose header goes wide.

Kerala Blasters are close to getting their first home win after a dominating show in the first half of this Southern Derby against Chennaiyin FC. They haven't scored a goal in the first 15 minutes yet but they won't mind scoring a bit later on too. Karanjit Singh, the Chennaiyin goalkeeper, gifts Matej Poplatnik a goal in the 23rd minute and Kerala had a couple of other chances to double that lead too.
Chennaiyin were here and there and came close to testing Dheeraj Singh just once. Jeje's effort, however, was punched away by the young Blasters' goalkeeper.
Chennaiyin need to do a lot more if they want to hold Blasters. Can the hosts build a bigger lead over their rivals in the second half? Stay tuned.

First half ends after Sahal Samad plays it out for a Chennaiyin FC goal-kick.

Two minutes added.

45' FOUL! And boy, that was close to being a penalty.
The same set of individuals are involved as last time.
Rakip definitely brings down Gregory Nelson, who rather falls inside the box hoping for a penalty.
But the contact was made outside and it will only be a free-kick from the left.
Nelson's set-piece is cleared by Stojanovic.

42' MOVING UP!
Yet another chance for Kerala Blasters, who have completely dominated this first half.
At the edge of the box, Courage Pekuson back-heels it for Doungel, who takes the shot but it flows wide after a deflection.

39' DHEERAJ PACKS A PUNCH!
Chennaiyin FC finally threaten. Rakip's forward move is intercepted by Augusto, who plays it to the left. Gregory Nelson's cuts it back to the centre and Jeje tries to slot it in. But Dheeraj gets his hand on it and keeps Kerala in the lead.

35' BOOM! WHAT A VOLLEY!
We saw what Courage Pekuson did last time against Bengaluru FC.
And he does one better this time, shooting off the volley following Eli Sabia's attempted clearance. Karanjit makes a save.

34' ALMOST!
Gregory Nelson drops a dangerous ball off a corner. Mailson tries to get at the end of it but it's frantically cleared by Keziron Kizito.

31' Herd's Hurt.
Poplatnik uses his body to try and win an aerial duel with the Chennaiyin midfielder. All he does is concede a free-kick.

29' BEAUTIFUL TOUCH!
Stojanovic receives a ball lifted over the Chennaiyin midfield with a fine touch off his right foot. He sets up Poplatnik in the middle but the striker cannot release a shot because of the number of bodies surrounding him.

25' MISS!
Francisco Fernades cuts it back for a free CK Vineeth, who lets it fly.

23' NEVER MIND! Kerala Blasters take the lead.
Karanjit Singh with a howler again, gifting the ball Matej Poplatnik's way, who nods into an empty net.
You really have to wonder what kinda block that was.
Kerala Blasters take a throw in, Courage Pekuson crosses to the centre hoping for a miracle and then Karanjit just pushes the ball towards a yellow jersey.
Gift.

21' OUCH! WAS THAT A PENALTY?
Gregory Nelson takes a tumble inside the box but the referee thinks Mohammed Rakip's tussle with him is fair.
John Gregory, the Chennaiyin coach, is unhappy but Nelson went down far too easily.

19' CHANCE!
Poplatnik is happy with the rebound and powers into the box with it. He tries to find Stojanovic on the far side but it takes a deflection off Eli Sabia and moves away from the intended target!

16' BOUNCED OFF THE POST!
Stojanovic with a wonderful chipped pass for Poplatnik, who meets it with a glancing header. But the effort hits the right post and goes out of bounds.
Unlucky!

14' WHAT WAS THAT?
A promising counter started by Doungel is ruined because of a poor pass by Keziron Kizito.

13' Just his 2nd match and the former Aston Villa player already has 2 bookings now.
Yellow - Chris Herd (Chennaiyin FC)

11' DOUBLE SAVE!
Kerala Blasters' Stojanovic steps across, drags the ball back and sets himself up for a shot. Karanjit blocks it.
Off the rebound, Poplatnik targets the right post with a header but Karanjit pushes it out.

9' Gregory Nelson drops it into the box and the two gentlemen with the blonde bleach, Mailson Alves and Raphael Augusto, go for it. Kerala Blasters whip it away.

8' No real chance for either side so far but Chennaiyin FC get the first corner of the game.

3' Seiminlen Doungel with the first shot of the game after receiving a pass from Sandesh Jhingan. It's way off target.

1' There's a minute's silence for the departed Indian solders in the Pulwama Terror Attack.
And then, PEEEEEEP, kick-off!

Anthem time.
Team picture time.
Break time.
and then kick-off time.
Last of the Southern Derbies this season.

Focus on AFC Cup.
Chennaiyin FC coach John Gregory feels the team is focused on the AFC Cup and are only thinking about finishing the ISL on a high.
"We have set our focus on the AFC Cup and the Hero Super Cup. We played with only four foreigners against the league leaders and beat them.
"It is good preparation for our AFC Cup campaign. It was a kind of a trial run that worked well against Bengaluru. We continue to be motivated, without a doubt. We want to take nine points from our remaining three ISL matches. And hopefully, we will finish in a position better than where we are right now," Gregory said.

Rival camp.
CK Vineeth will be playing against his former team for the first time.
Kerala Blasters' coach Nelo Vingada, however, wants to see Chennaiyin FC as more than Vineeth and Halicharan Narzary, the other Kerala Blasters player in the CFC camp.
"Chennaiyin are not just about Vineeth and Narzary. We have to respect them, and we have to show it is our home match," Vingada said before the game.

ISL Live | Kerala Blasters v Chennaiyin FC Live | Score, Result, Commentary, Updates

The kick-off is at 7.30 pm IST.