Football
ESPN staff 9y

Brilliant Mendoza strike takes Chennaiyin to the top of ISL

Chennaiyin FC climbed to the top of the Indian Super League (ISL) table after beating Pune City 3-1 at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium on Wednesday night.

John Stiven Mendoza gave the home team the lead in the 62nd minute before an own goal by former Man Utd midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba eight minutes later leveled the score at one apiece. Bruno Pelissari restored Chennaiyin's lead from the restart and Jeje Lalpekhlua made the result safe with a goal in the dying minutes of the game.

Both teams came out with the intent of dishing out some delectable attacking football but neither team managed to break the deadlock with the first-half ending goalless.

The second period was a different story as Chennaiyin made their dominance count when Mendoza played a one-two with Balwant Singh before putting a superb lob over Pune keeper Arindam Bhattacharya in the 62nd minute.

Before the home fans could finish their celebratory cheers, Pune City's livewire Davide Colomba sent in a low cross that was deflected off Djemba-Djemba to tie the game at 1-1.

Chennaiyin refused to let their heads drop and were back in front from the restart when Pelissari's deflected shot went past Arindam in goal.

Pune City kept pushing for the equaliser -- led by former Juventus striker David Trezeguet and ex-Liverpool and Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant -- but Marco Materazzi's team were able to snuff out their attacks and leapfrog Atletico de Kolkata on goal difference to sit at the summit of the ISL table.

The league leaders will now travel to Mumbai City on Nov. 23 while Pune City will be hoping to bounce back when they travel to Goa to take on FC Goa a day earlier.

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