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In a dominant display at the Marina Arena, Chennaiyin FC were all over NorthEast United, before eventually beating the Highlanders 2-0, to notch up another ISL win under Owen Coyle.
NorthEast are in big trouble, with Robert Jarni's men currently ninth in the table, and a playoff spot looking distant.
After missing a host of chances, Chennaiyin killed the game in the space of three second-half minutes, with two sensational goals from Rafael Crivellaro and Nerijus Valskis.
Chennaiyin could, and really should, have won by a much bigger margin, but for now, they will not mind that, as with the three points and a clean sheet that does wonders for their confidence, they move in to sixth spot on the ISL table.
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#5 Chennaiyin make all the early running but fail to kill off NorthEast
Really, this game should have been done as a contest, as early as the 20th minute. Chennaiyin made all the early running in a ferocious start, and peppered Subhasish Roy Chowdhury's goal, but somehow never made his net bulge.
Valskis could've given the two-time champions the lead in the fifth minute, after NorthEast shot themselves in the foot, by giving the ball away too easily. Lallianzuala Chhangte set up the Lithuanian in front of an empty net, but when it was easier to score, he somehow contrived to hit the bar.
Edwin Sydney Vanspaul stung Subhasish's palms from a long way out, before Andre Schembri had two gilt-edged opportunities, both of which he squandered.
First, he got in front of his marker brilliantly, before shooting wide, and then put a header over the bar, after a perfect cross from Anirudh Thapa.
The hosts could have been left to rue those missed opportunities as the Highlanders made most of the running in the closing stages of the first half, with a number of half-chances for their front three of Andy Keogh, Martin Chaves and Redeem Tlang. But, Chennaiyin stood tall, with Lucian Goian coming up with a number of crucial interventions to deny the visitors.
#2 Rafael Crivellaro makes the difference - tactically
Starting in a free role behind Valskis, it was the Brazilian who caused NorthEast the most problems. Tactically, Owen Coyle got it spot on, as Chennaiyin ran the Highlanders ragged for most of the game.
The strategy looked simple enough, but it was Chennaiyin and Crivellaro's ability to mix it up that caused NorthEast all sorts of trouble. From the off, it was clear that Coyle wanted his Brazilian no.10 to double up on the flank where possession was, with Chhangte and Andre Schembri always having an option close to them, in Crivellaro.
That overload caused NorthEast plenty of early headaches, but they seemed to get a grip of things after the first 20 minutes, but that grip was to be short-lived.
With NorthEast overloading the flanks defensively after that, Crivellaro looked to stay more central, and his passing ability was unpicking several locks in the NorthEast rearguard, and bringing all the other Chennaiyin attackers into play.
It was just reward for the Brazilian that it was he who broke the deadlock, with a sensational goal from just inside the opposition half, after he caught Subhasish off his line.
#3 Outrageous goals give Chennaiyin breathing space
When it seemed like Chennaiyin were going to somehow contrive to throw the game away, despite creating chance after chance after chance, their clutch players showed up, grabbed the game by the scruff of its neck, and in a couple of minutes, put it beyond the reach of the Highlanders.
First, Crivellaro turned his marker on the left flank just beyond the half-way line, only to spot Subhasish off his line in the NorthEast goal. The Brazilian then conjured a sublime shot from a long way out that went beyond the NorthEast custodian and hit the back of the net. It was not the best bit of goalkeeping from Subhasish for sure, but it was an unbelievable piece of play from Crivellaro.
First, to have the vision to spot the goalkeeper off his line. That is an art and a skill in itself, but then to have the skill to take that shot, and have the power, direction and precision on it to lob it over the keeper is quite something else. It was an amazing goal which capped off an outstanding display from Crivellaro.
When Crivellaro had done it, how could Valskis be left far behind? The Lithuanian dropped deep and fed Schembri. Unfortunately, it wasn't the Maltese attackers day, as he scuffed the shot. But Valskis was alive to the situation, as Kai Heerings curiously played the ball straight back to the Chennaiyin striker.
With a superb strike, Valskis picked out the top corner - the perfect postage stamp goal. Two pieces of outstanding ability in the end decided a game which Chennaiyin should have won anyway, had they taken the easier chances they had created.
#4 NorthEast are in big trouble
The Highlanders find themselves languishing one spot above the foot of the ISL table, and really, in a run of absolutely awful form.
Their last goal from open play came over a month ago, their last win come over two months ago, and really, it is difficult to see where their next win comes from.
Tonight, they were meek in their surrender. In the absence of their suspended captain Jose David Leudo, they were overpowered in midfield and looked bereft of ideas elsewhere as well.
It could have all been so different, had Andy Keogh, their debutant striker, managed to score with his first touch, in the first minute of the game, but he was superbly marshalled by Eli Sabia and Vishal Kaith.
Post that, Chennaiyin didn't look back, and pounded the NorthEast midfield and defence.
Worryingly for Robert Jarni, it is the attack that is coming up a cropper. Federico Gallego is still nowhere near the player he was last season, having only just returned from a horrific injury. Keogh, on the other hand, needs time to settle down to new surroundings and Martin Chaves hasn't set the competition ablaze.
With Asamoah Gyan ruled out for the season, and Panagiotis Triadis having left Indian shores, NorthEast need a solution to their goal problem as soon as possible.
#5 Chennaiyin find the perfect midfield balance
Chennaiyin were forced to make a change in midfield, with Germanpreet Singh suspended, but in the end, as a result of that, they might have stumbled on to a combination that is perfect to the way they play.
Edwin Sydney Vanspaul came into midfield to partner Anirudh Thapa and the two Indians together pulled the strings brilliantly, with terrific guile and accurate passing.
Edwin seemed to also bring the best out of Thapa, who has sometimes looked overawed when he has had the likes of Germanpreet or Dhanpal Ganesh alongside him in the middle of the park.
Edwin had a great game himself, with a number of critical tackles and interceptions to cut off Gallego's influence on the game. His passing and distance shooting abilities were also on display as he put in a complete performance.
That seemed to take the shackles off Thapa too as he seemed to play in a more advanced starting position than he has since the start of last season.
The Indian international should have had a goal with a free header, in the second half, but "should have scored" is a phrase we could use for perhaps each of the hosts' midfielders and attackers tonight.
