MATCH REPORT: Mendonza hat-trick heralds Chennai's turnaround as Goa suffer huge loss

A HAT-TRICK BY Siven Mendoza, supported by a goal and a stellar shift from marquee Elano provided a convincing 4-0 win for Chennaiyin FC as they utterly dominated FC Goa in a crucial ISL third round encounter at Fatorda tonight.

After a decent start to the season with a win and a draw, FC Goa coach Zico chose to use the same starting line-up for the third straight game. Marco Materazzi, trying to recover from back to back defeats, chose to introduced Mehrajuddin, Mailson, Raphael and Jayesh Rane into the starting line-up. Of those left out, Balwant Singh had to be excused due to an injury.

The game began in an aggressive fashion with the visitors' forward line baring its teeth. In the very third minute Elano sent a high ball to Jayesh Rane up front whose shot slammed straight into Goa keeper Andrade. Next minute Elano had found Mendoza, who took the shot, Andrade saved it but dropped the ball, but grabbed it before anyone else could get to it.

The pressure stayed on and in the 10th minute, proved to be worth it. Elano fed Mendoza, who took the shot, Andrade made the save but once again failed to grip the ball, leading to Arnolin attempting to clear it. But the ball ended up with Mendoza again. This time, the finishing was good, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. 

Even after taking the lead, Chennaiyin kept the pressure on. Two minutes later, Elano found Andrade in a one-on-one situation but somehow failed to finish.

Goa tried to get back at the visitors a few minutes later when a Leo Moura pass found Keenan with only Chennaiyin keeper Edel ahead of him. The custodian had no option but to rush ahead to make a block. Keenan sent the ball past Edel, but Jayesh Rane got there first and made an off-the-line save.

The FC Goa defence was failing to impress and Lucio was doing most of the hard work. A badly timed clearance attempt from Arnolin nearly found Mendoza, but Goa's Brazilian marquee was there to save the situaiton. Jofre in the midfield was also trying to make an impact. He made a good pass that provided a chance for Reinaldo to run straight into the Chennaiyin box but Mehrajuddin tackled him. The referee did not think it was a foul, but it could have been a free kick from a good position any other night.

For Chennaiyin, Mendy was having a particularly good game. Whenever Jofre supplied Romeo Fernandes, Mendy was never far away, ready to block his path. Those lethal runs up the flank that worked so well for FC Goa on the first game were effectively blocked.

Then, towards the end of the half, came the second goal. Debabrata Roy lost the ball to Thoi Singh, who passed it to Jayesh Rane, who forwarded it to Elano who was somehow unguarded. The finish was simple but elegant, and suddenly FC Goa were sitting on a well-deserved 2-0 lead going into half-time, in control and poised to win their first match of the season. 

The second half began with FC Goa subbing a largely ineffective Romeo Fernandes (and borderline violent; sent Mendoza out for a while after a nasty tackle) with Bikramjit SIngh. At the very beginning, Chennaiyin warned of further strikes. Thoi Singh flicked it towards Mendoza who crossed to Elano and the shot would've gone in but for Andrade's desperate foot somehow getting in its way. 

Then Goa had a legitimate chance to score. A ball forward saw Reinaldo with a good chance to slot it in, but his shot was way above target. Dismay descended on the FC Goa bench at the sheer wastefulness of it. 

Lucio created another chance as he sent one to Jofre, who was brought down by Ralte inside the box. It looked like a clear penalty but the referee did not think so. And that was the last chance for the home team to turn this game around. 

Soon Chennaiyin found their third goal. Elano ran with the ball, pushing beyond three opponent players, passed it towards the right where Mendoza took it, and chipped it over Andrade who had come off the line. The ball went in and Goa were 0-3 ahead, with half an hour to go.

Now Chennaiyin FC looked to seal the game. They replaced Thoi Singh and Elano with Godwin Franco and Bruno Pelissari. Goa, for their part, introduced Sabeeth up front in a last-ditch effort to find a goal. But the traffic remained in favour of the visitors, and for Mendoza, the night was still young.

In the 75th minute, Bruno used his fresh legs to make room and sent a well-directed ball towards Mendoza who received it on his chest, took a good aim and blasted it into the net. The Colombian striker had completed his hat-trick, and Chennaiyin had earned an unreachable four goal lead. 

Goa kept on trying though. And they did find a goal. Sabeeth's left footer hit the bar, bounced beyond the goal line and got cleared afterwards, but the referee did not see it go over the line so the goal was disallowed. After a penalty not given, this made for yet another example of a game soured by dismal refereeing standards of ISL this year.

As the full time whistle rang out, there was celebration in the Chennaiyin dug out, as they rejoiced in a victory that they could not have done without. Being title contenders last season and starting this season with an aim to go higher, they had received double setbacks due to defeats in the first two games. This win, however, makes for a good statement of purpose, signalling to their opponents that they are a strong, talented side who can haul it in the long run. They have achieved one of the biggest away wins in ISL, ever, against a strong FC Goa team. Their campaign may finally be back on track.

For Zico, things fell apart in the defence. Part of the cause may be using the same starting line up for three games straight. Some of the players may be getting tired already, and they have a difficult few away games to look forward to. There has also been little evolution in the team's strategy. Putting a good roadblock in front of Romeo Fernandes kills most of the team's wing-play. And none of their defenders, apart from Lucio, did well tonight. It's a result that will send Zico back to the drawing board once again. He will want to bounce back straight away, in the match against NorthEast United on Thursday.

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