ATK Mohun Bagan beat Chennaiyin FC 1-0 with a 91st minute David Williams goal at the Fatorda on Thursday to go within two points of leaders Mumbai City.
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Coming into the game, both sides had made a couple of changes. Chennaiyin’s Deepak Tangri and Thoi Singh started in place of Edwin Vanspaul and the injured Anirudh Thapa while Javier Hernandez and Manvir Singh were preferred over David Williams and Prabir Das by Habas.
The first half was a cagey affair, with both defenses dominating. Vishal Kaith had a couple of saves to make – off a Tiri long ranger and a Hernandez volley – but little else.
At the other end, Arindam Bhattacharya saw a Rahim Ali effort fly wide, but saw most others crash into the wall of defenders stationed ahead of him.
Predictably, the first half ended goalless.
With the game meandering to a 0-0, it sprung to life after the second drinks break. Kaith had to dive full stretch to keep out a Hernandez freekick, while Bhattacharya had to be alert to collect the ball after a melee in his box after a Lallianzuala Chhangte corner.
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It was a corner at the other end, though, that proved decisive. Hernandez swung it into the six-yard box, where second half substitute Williams rose highest to power home a thumping header.
It wasn’t the last bit of action of the match, though. With everyone thrown forward in search for an equaliser, Eli Sabia dinked a lovely ball over Bhattacharya, and it took a superb, acrobatic, goalline clearance from Tiri to secure all three points.
The 1-0 loss sees Chennaiyin stay put in sixth, while ATKMB consolidated their second spot. Chennaiyin next play league leaders Mumbai City on the 25th while ATKMB take on NorthEast United the next day.
