Wilmar Jordan Gil scored his tenth goal of the season as Chennaiyin FC beat Punjab FC 2-1 in their Indian Super League 2024-25 fixture at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.
Chennaiyin took the lead in the 19th minute through Jordan Gil’s penalty, before Luka Majcen equalised for Punjab in the 48th minute. Daniel Chima Chukwu then scored the winner off the bench in the 84th minute to seal all three points for the hosts.
Missing Laldinliana Renthlei and PC Laldinpuia due to an injury and a suspension, respectively, head coach Owen Coyle recalled skipper Ryan Edwards to the starting line-up, with the Englishman joining Elsinho, Pritam Kotal, and Vignesh Dakshinamurthy in defence. Lalrinliana Hnamte and Jiteshwor Singh screened the backline, while Kiyan Nassiri started as a winger.
Having been awarded a penalty for a handball inside the box, Chennaiyin drew first blood when Jordan Gil stepped up to lash his spot-kick into the roof of the net in the 19th minute. In doing so, the Colombian became only the third Chennaiyin FC player to score ten goals or more in a single ISL season.
The Marina Machans went through a host of opportunities to finish the first half. First, Jordan Gil went close to his second with a headed effort from a Shields set-piece, before Irfan Yadwad tested the goalkeeper Ravi Kumar twice from close range.
Minutes after the restart, Punjab equalised through substituted Majcen, after the forward converted a drilled pass from close range with a snap shot. Chennaiyin survived the subsequent onslaught of the visitors’ attack from the right, before recommitting to finding the winning goal.
The Marina Machans came close to retaking the lead in the 78th minute when Irfan’s mazy run down the right produced a pin-point cross, which Jordan Gil flicked narrowly wide of the goal. Six minutes later, his replacement, Chima Chukwu, ensured that the home side’s hard work paid off when he tapped fellow substitute Lukas Brambilla’s cross into the net with the goal gaping.
