Chennaiyin FC took on Kerala Blasters FC in their first Hero Indian Super League (ISL) home game at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai today.

Chennayin FC had almost a perfect start just 22 seconds into the game, when Abhishek Das’ cross from the right  found an unmarked Balwant Singh in the middle of the box. But Balwant’s flying header missed the target by a whisker.

Avinabo Bag produced Kerala Blasters FC’s first challenge on Gennaro Bracigliano’s goal, but the long range shot missed the target and didn’t cause any worries to the goalkeeper.

Chennaiyin FC took the lead in the 14th minute as former Brazil international Elano converted a penalty kick. Kerala Blasters’ Gurwinder Singh had brought down Abhishek Das in the box and the referee had no other option than award the hosts a penalty. Gurwinder was lucky to escape without a booking which would have meant marching orders for the footballer from Punjab who collected a yellow card just minutes before the foul.

Kerala Blasters’ didn’t surrender and continued to their game plan. CS Sabeeth had the best chance to equalise as the Indian striker hit the post from inside the box in the 25th minute. Penn Ikechukwu Orji tried to take advantage of the rebound but the Kerala Blasters skipper slammed into the goalkeeper and Bernard Mendy while trying to put the ball into the net.

Victor Herrero Forcada Pulga had the next opportunity for the visitors, when the Spaniard fired a shot just inches over the Chennaiyin FC goal.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium errupted in cheer in the 27th minute when John Stiven Mendoza went on an one-on-one with Kerala Blasters goalkeeper David James and dribbled past the Englishman just to go down. Mendoza and most of the fans expected another penalty for the home side but referee Rahul Eric D’sa opined that James didn’t foul the striker and it was a dive by the Chennaiyin FC player.

Chennaiyin FC kept defending well with the increasing pressure from the Kerala Blasters. The hosts managed to take their 1-0 lead into the half-time break of an interesting game.

The second half started with an early equaliser for Kerala Blasters FC in the 50th minute. Pulga sent in a perfect corner into the box just to find birthday boy Nirmal Chettri. Nirmal headed the ball on target, but the ball got blocked and Canadian international Iain Hume put the rebound into the net to score the first Hero Indian Super League goal for his team.

But Chennaiyin FC once again took the lead with a spectacular goal from former French international Bernard Mendy. Elano curled in a free kick into the Kerala Blasters box just to see Balwant get a touch on it before Mendy surprised everyone with a wonderful bicycle kick past David James.

Kerala Blasters were eagerly looking for the equaliser but poor finishing denied them at least a draw in the first Southern Derby of the Hero Indian Super League.

Chennaiyin FC won the Southern Derby 2-1.

2014 Hero Indian Super League
at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai

CHENNAIYIN FC 2-1 KERALA BLASTERS FC

GOALS
1-0 Elano (14′)
1-1 Iain Hume (50′)
2-1 Bernard Mendy (63′)

LINE-UPS

Chennaiyin FC
1 Gennaro Bracigliano – 5 Bernard Mendy, 15 Abhishek Das (36′ 25 Dhanachandra Singh), 27 Mikaël Silvestre, 13 Denson Devadas – 19 Gouramangi Moirangthem Singh, 7 Elano, 10 Bojan Djordjic [C] (73′ 20 Bruno Pelissari), 18 Harmanjot Singh Khabra – 14 John Stiven Mendoza (85′ 8 Cristian Hidalgo), 17 Balwant Singh

Unused Subs
22 Shilton Paul – 2 Jairo Suárez, 12 Jeje Lalpekhlua, 23 Marco Materazzi

Kerala Blasters FC
70 David James – 5 Nirmal Chettri, 2 Cedric Hengbart, 16 Gurwinder Singh, 15 Sandesh Jhingan – 14 Mehtab Hossain, 85 Victor Herrero Forcada Pulga (53′ 25 Stephen Pearson), 18 Penn Ikechukwu Orji [C] (55′ 8 Michael Chopra), 23 Avinabo Bag (71′ 27 Andrew Barisic) –  10 Iain Hume, 12 CS Sabeeth

Unused Subs
24 Sandip Nandy – 6 Potsangbam Renedy Singh, 9 Pedro Gusmao, 11 Ishfaq Ahmed, 22 Raphaël Romey, 29 Saumik Dey, 32 Colin Falvey, 88 Milagres Gonsalves

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee
Rahul Eric D’sa (India)

Assistant Referees
…, …

Fourth Official
…

BOOKINGS

Yellow Cards
8′ Gurwinder Singh (Kerala Blasters FC)
38′ John Stiven Mendoza (Chennaiyin FC)
44′ Mehtab Hossain (Kerala Blasters FC)
82′ Elano (Chennaiyin FC)
90′ Nirmal Chettri (Kerala Blasters FC)

Yellow-Red Cards
none

Red Cards
none

MAN OF THE MATCH

Bernard Mendy (Chennaiyin FC)