Hero Super Cup: Chennaiyin and Churchill Brothers share spoils after 0-0 draw
Manjeri (Kerala), April 15, 2023: Chennaiyin FC played out a goalless draw against Churchill Brothers in their second Group D match of the Hero Super Cup 2023 at the Payyanad Stadium in Manjeri, Kerala on Saturday.
Chennaiyin, who came into the match after a win against NorthEast United FC, were dominant from the get go. They made a spirited start and kept piling the pressure on the opposition defenders with their aggressive approach.
Sixty-one per cent possession and several goal-scoring opportunities, which also included seven corners, but couldn’t manage to convert any in the first half.
One such chance came as early as in the sixth minute when the Anirudh Thapa-led side had almost opened the scoring off a corner but the opposition defenders, somehow, managed to clear the ball. Last match’s hero Aakash Sangwan also came into the picture when his close-range header missed the target by a whisker a few minutes before the half time.
After struggling to hold the ball initially, Churchill Brothers regrouped after the break and showcased better resistance in the second half that witnessed stiff competition from both ends.
The I-League side was reduced to 10 men after Richard Costa was handed his second yellow card of the match for bringing down Mohammad Rafique five minutes before the final whistle.
Both the teams tried their best to find a goal in the final quarter but eventually ended up sharing points with a draw.
Chennaiyin, with four points from two games, will now square off against Mumbai City FC in their final group-stage match on Wednesday.