Bhubaneswar: Jordan Murray pounced on a perfect cross from Connor Shields to score a goal late in the second half as Chennaiyin FC played out a 1-1 draw with Punjab FC in their first Group C match of the ongoing Kalinga Super Cup 2024 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on Thursday.
Murray netted the equaliser for Chennaiyin in the 81st minute, while Wilmar Jordan scored the lone goal for Punjab FC early in the first half of the match.
Chennaiyin had a slow start to the match and conceded an early goal in the fourth minute when Jordan put the ball in the back of the net following a fine pass from Madih Talal from the right side of the post.
Seven minutes later, Shields found Murray with an exquisite through ball, however, the striker's effort at goal was saved by Punjab's goalkeeper Kiran.
Akash Sangwan made an attempt at goal from inside the box in the 33rd minute of the match and Punjab's defenders cleared the ball successfully for a corner to keep the team in the lead. Punjab faced a big setback just before halftime when midfielder Amarjit Singh Kiyam saw a red card for a foul on Ninthoinganba Meetei.
The injury forced Chennaiyin's head coach Owen Coyle to make changes as he brought Rahim Ali in place of Meetei, while Vincy Barretto replaced Farukh Choudhary on the field.
Chennaiyin FC made a frantic start to the second half, having a one-man advantage on the field. They showed high intensity with quick attacks and Shields found himself in the centre of action with a header in the 52nd minute that went over the bar.
Murray had a great opportunity from the right side of the post in the 68th minute but his attempt to the far post went wide before Shields failed to beat the goalkeeper despite a powerful shot. Chennaiyin faced a heavy blow in the 69th as Rafael Crivellaro saw a red card and left the team with 10 men on the field.
Shields got the ball on the right flank in the 81st minute and found Murray in the box, who made no mistake in scoring the equaliser with a header for Chennaiyin. Three minutes later, Shields found himself with the ball in the centre of the box but couldn't beat the goalkeeper.
Chennaiyin's goalkeeper Samik Mitra was called into action in added time and made a fine save on a shot off Abhishek Singh to keep the score level.
The Marina Machans will now face Gokulam Kerala FC on January 16 before taking on Mumbai City FC in their last Group C match on January 21.
