ISL 2023-24: East Bengal edges past Chennaiyin FC to push for playoffs, thanks to Nandha’s crucial goal

East Bengal picked up its fourth win by downing Chennaiyin FC by a solitary goal in a matchweek-17 fixture of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 season at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Monday.

Nandhakumar Sekar came to the team’s aid once again as he found the net midway through the second half to secure the full quota of points for East Bengal, which tallied 18 points from 16 matches to move to the eight spot in the current standings.

Chennaiyin FC remained on 15 points after its 16th outing of the tournament.

Needing a win to remain in the contest for a top-six place and keep the possibility of reaching the knock-out stage open, East Bengal appeared to be losing its plot against a more organized Chennaiyin FC in the first half.

Chennaiyin FC created more openings in the first half but its attackers Rahim Ali, Jordan Murray and Farukh Choudhary, who shared a few good chances, could not convert them.

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East Bengal coach Carlos Cuadrat tried to alter the situation after the break by introducing three changes and that got East Bengal back in the game as one of the substitutes P.V. Vishnu provided the impetus to the host to launch effective attacks with his penetrative runs.

This tilted the midfield balance in favour of East Bengal as the host started finding the attack route through the flanks.

Keeping on the momentum, Nandha finally got the break in the 65th minute when he got at the end of a long cross from the left and responded with a powerful grounder that took a deflection off Chennaiyin defender Bikash Yumnam to find its way in.

One of the assists from Vishnu almost doubled the lead for East Bengal when the former set up Brazilian striker Cleiton Silva open inside the Chennaiyin goal in the 84th minute.

Silva fired a right footer but his attempt was blocked well by a last ditch effort from Chennaiyin defender Sarthak Golui. Chennaiyin’s best chance to move up came in the 62nd when Vincy Barreto set up nice back-centre and Murray connected with a strong hear just see the ball sailing directly to the body of the East Bengal goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill.