Colombian striker Stiven Mendoza fired in his second hat-trick of the season as hosts Chennaiyin FC crushed Kerala Blasters 4-1 in an Indian Super league football encounter, here on Saturday.
After Dhanachandra Singh opened the scoring in the 3rd minute, Mendoza scored in the 16th, 80th and 81st minute to ensure full points forChennai. Mendoza now top’s goalscorers’ tally with 9 strikes.
The win also took their points tally to 13 from 11 games and Chennaiyin jumped to the 6th spot, keeping faint hopes of qualifying for the semi-final alive. Blasters languish at the bottom of the table with 11 points from as many matches.
The floodgates opened as early as the 3rd minute, when left-back Dhanachandra Singh overlapped and unleashed a volley that beat goalkeeper Stephen Bywater convincingly.
It soon became 2-0 in 16th minute when Mendoza’s curling volley from the edge of 18-yard box beat Bywater.
In the 80th minute, it was a through pass that Mendoza received from Harmanjyot Singh at the edge of the box and scored with a deft left-footed strike taken with the outstep.
Only a minute later, Blasters’ miseries were compounded as Mendoza completed a well-deserved hat-trick when he neatly slotted it past Bywater in a one-to-one situation.
It was in the 90th minute that Anthony German pulled one back with a shot that deflected off Dhanchandra before going into the net.
Zico blasts ATK
Kolkata: A livid FC Goa coach Zico on Saturday hit out at Atletico de Kolkata, alleging that the home team denied them vital practice on the eve of their clash here on Sunday.
With the re-laid grass turf of the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan not in proper conditions, both teams were denied practice at the venue and nearby Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation ground was earmarked for training.
Zico wanted to train at the adjacent BMC ground in the afternoon but the home side ATK also chose the same timing, leaving the league leaders to train at far flung Mohun Bagan ground.