AGENCIES, COIMBATORE: Churchill Brothers FC held hosts Chennai City FC to a 2-2 draw at Coimbatore’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, to remain unbeaten in both their opening games on the road, as the result meant that Quess East Bengal (QEB) are seated firmly on top of the league standings after their second successive victory against Shillong Lajong earlier in the day.
Spaniard Nestor Jesus opened the scoring for the home team as early as the ninth minute, before Serbian defender Nenad Novakovic equalised in the second half. Israil Gurung then put the Goa side ahead, taking advantage of a goalkeeping error only for Chennai’s second Spanish midfielder Sandro to draw level soon after.
Churchill’s Romanian coach Petra Gigiu, on the other hand, made two changes to the side which started against defending champions Minerva Punjab. Israil Gurung and Vinil Poojary got a start in place of Lamgoulen Hangshing and Fredsan Marshall respectively.
Chennai burst into the lead early, when Pedro Manzi, the striker who registered the 12th Hero I-League’s first hat-trick in the Arrows game, sent Nestor through outside the Chennai box on the left. Nestor drove inside and placed an angled left-footer neatly across the face of goal, beating a diving Churchill keeper James Kithan to find the back of the net.
The introduction of Clencio Pinto in place of the off-colour Vinil Poojary in the second half injected a lot of purpose and flair into the Churchill attack.
In the 51st minute, off a corner which resulted out of this purpose, Israil Gurung floated one near the first post and Serbian defender Nenad Novakovic rose to head in the equaliser.
Two more goals then followed in the space of five minutes. First in the 58th minute, after Dawda Cessay’s laborious effort along the right flank, Pinto got hold of the ball and floated in a low cross from just outside the box. A seemingly easy collection by the goalkeeper, saw the ball slip out of the grasp, and to the horror of Chennai’s custodian Kabir, Israil Gurung was at hand to slot in an easy goal.
