Kolkata: Debutants Gokulam FC, playing their first home match put up a brilliant performance, but just couldn’t cross the line against Chennai City, rather holding on to a 1-1 draw at the EMS corporation stadium on Monday. The home team buoyed by over 26,000 supporters played some eye-pleasing football throughout the match but lacked profligacy in midfield, which were often exposed by the Chennai attackers. Former Aizwal and Mohun Bagan striker Stephen Kamo Bayi scored the opening goal for Gokulam in the 21st minute, before Jean Michael Joachim restored parity seven minutes later.
The happiness of football returning to ‘God’s own country’ attracted supporters in big numbers who almost got another reason to celebrate in the first few minutes when Vicky Meitei’s fierce shot beat everyone but was cleared on the goal-line by Chennai defender Henry Tesong.
In a game of missed chances, that saw both sides miss as many as three goal-scoring chances in the opening 15 minutes. Gokulam went ahead in the 21st minute, when captain Sushanth Matthew lobbed a through ball over the Chennai defence for striker Kamo Bayi, who skipped past Poljanec to score the opening goal.
Moments later, Chennai nearly equalised with Jean Joachim, but the French striker was again wasteful. Desperate for a goal, the away side increased the pace of their attacks but Gokulam goalkeeper Nikhil made a twin save off Soosairaj and Joachim parrying the second shot away for a corner, which brought in the equaliser for Chennai. The resulting corner from Edwin Vanspaul saw Joachim score from a powerful header to bring the scoreline to 1-1 in the 28th minute.
Chennai could have well made it 3-1 after resuming from the break, but Joachim at the centre of things failed to connect on either of the shots as things turned sore for Gokulam on the opposite side. Striker Kamo Bayi had to be stretched off in the early moments of the second half but that did not deter the home team’s attacking prowess with Khaled Alsaleh firing a bullet into the top left, that was kept away by Chennai custodian Uros Poljanec.
Gokulam played some lethal football throughout the match, threatening the Chennai goal more than often but in the end will rue their missed chances as the away side held on, to share the spoils.