TRAU FC – 1 (Komron 45’) Chennaiyin FC– 4 (Sliskovic 1’ 55’ Karikari (P) 20’ Vafa 51’)
Imphal, Thursday, September 01, 2022:
The Thomas Brdaric trained Chennayin FC (CFC) ran out
comfortable 4-1 winners over 10-man Tiddim Road Athletic Union (TRAU) FC, at the Khuman
Lampak Stadium in Imphal, setting up a mouthwatering final group clash against the other local side
Neroca FC, which on September 05, 2022, will determine the second spot from Group C. Hyderabad
FC have already qualified as group toppers.
All 47 games of the 131st IndianOil Durand Cup are being telecast LIVE on Sports18 1 SD
& HD and Sports18 Khel as well as livestreamed on the Over the Top (OTT) platform
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Even before referee Arumughan pronounced marching orders for Salam Johnson Singh near the end of
the first half, TRAU were being completely dominated in the game by a determined CFC, in search of
a first win in the tournament.
In the very first minute of the game, a long ball found Croatian striker Petar Sliskovic in space and he
made no mistake. In 16 seconds, the score read 1-0 in CFC’s favour.
CFC’s attacks continued and, in one such move, TRAU keeper Jedidi Haokip mistimed his challenge
on Sliskovic and Arumughan pointed to the spot. Ghanaian Kwame Karikari converted without much
fuss. CFC were 2-0 up with 20minutes on the clock.
At about the half-hour mark, a wonderful free-kick from Anirudh Thapa found Sliskovic free again, but
his header missed the target from close.
Then came the marching orders for Johnson and for some time after that at least, it looked to have
spurred TRAU into action. Livewire Baoringdao Bodo in one of his bulldozing runs unleashed a shot
which ballooned off the keeper and hit Sajid Dhot’s arm as he tried to backtrack and salvage the
situation. TRAU skipper Komron Tursunov converted the game’s second penalty at the stroke of halftime.
But any hopes TRAU might have had of a comeback were crushed very quickly by a rampaging CFC
after the break. Rahim Ali in the 48th minute after a layoff by Sliskovic, unleashed a powerful shot but
it was well saved by Haokip, who had a lot to do on the day. A minute later Vafa, missed with a free
header off a corner.
But the Iranian got his goal in the 51st when off a trademark floating Thapa corner, he jumped tallest,
completely unmarked yet again, to head in for CFC’s third of the evening.
They did not relent though and in the 54th, Edwin Vanspaul’s thunderbolt, shook the cross bar after
beating Dinesh and came back.
Finally, in the 55th, Sliskovic got his second with a yet another free header and there was no way back
for TRAU.
