Jeje and Succi give Chennaiyin three vital points

ISL

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Chennaiyin FC ran out comfortable winners at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, as goals from Jeje Lalpekhlua and Davide Succi gave them a vital 2-0 victory against FC Pune City. 

Two headers, one late in the first half and the other early in the second, gave Chennaiyin only their third victory of the season, snapping a five-match winless run. Pune were poor throughout the game and they succumbed to their first away defeat of the season.

With their fourth clean sheet of the season, Chennaiyin improved their goal-difference to -2, and with only four games to go, each goal may be crucial to decide who makes the playoffs.

The victory also maintained Chennaiyin's unbeaten record against Pune in the ISL intact, as this was only the second time Antonio Habas lost to Marco Materazzi. Pune are still in with a shot of making the top four, but they have some serious questions to answer for. 

With both teams entering the match desperate for a win, the start was cagey, and it was not until the final 10 minutes of the first half when there were any clear-cut opportunities. It was the home team who looked like getting closer to a goal, with Raphael Augusto, Jerry Lalrinzuala and Succi all in the thick of the action.

Chennaiyin were playing a diamond formation with Augusto, Hans Mulder and Zakeer Mundapara behind Jeje and Succi. However, too many long balls forward dented any chance for Chennaiyin to get the best out of the midfielders.

Chennaiyin's opening goal came when they actually played the ball along the ground. Augusto, from the center of the park, found Mulder whose turn took him away from his marker. Mulder played Jerry on the left and his ball into the box was smartly targeted by Succi towards an unmarked Jeje, who headed in easily from close range. It was Jerry's smart run from the left, Succi's excellent touch and poor defending from Pune's full-backs that led to the goal.

The goal came after a series of corners for Chennaiyin, who kept Pune on the back foot for a period of five minutes. Succi also came close to scoring when Jeje set him up with a nice chested pass, but the Italian's shot at goal was a timid one.

Succi, however, deservedly got himself on the score sheet six minutes into the second half with a well-timed header. Augusto, found with space, chipped the ball into the box from 35 yards, and Succi jumped high to get just enough loop over Edel Bete. 

Pune bought in Eugenson Lyngdoh in place of Lenny Rodriques in the second half to strengthen the midfield but the away side continued to struggle creating chances. 

Pune just could not click in midfield, and without a proper striker, they struggled against a solid Chennai back-line as Bernard Mendy and Eder Monteiro won nearly every duel. Apart from Jonatan Lucca, no Pune player showed any real intent to win the game.

Pune's best chance of the game came in the 84th minute when the substitute Momar Ndoye set up Dramane Traore, whose left-footed strike was blasted above goal. In the end, Chennaiyin were rarely threatened and Pune need to find their shooting boots if they are to qualify for the playoffs for the very first time.