Chennaiyin FC's doggedness after a beautifully executed goal from Jeje Lalpekhlua seemed enough to give them their third consecutive win in the Indian Super League, but FC Pune City responded with a great strike of their own late in the game to share the spoils. Eight minutes from time, Anibal Zurdo curled a free-kick past Chennaiyin keeper Duwayne Kerr for the match to end in a 1-1 draw.
For Chennaiyin, the performance yet again mirrored their display at NorthEast United. Their back four, for much of the game, were impregnable. Pune resorted to long range-efforts to much of the game. The midfield, too, worked tirelessly when they lost their ball.
Spotting Edel off his line, Jeje took a touch before lobbing the ball with precision for it to go beyond the Pune keeper's outstretched hands and into the goal. Pune threw men forward but their woes in front of the goal continued as Dramane Traore's struggles lived on.
Jonathan Lucca, though, was yet again an assured presence in the middle of the park. But he was crowded out by the Chennaiyin defence and couldn't play the incisive passes that he is renowned for.
Chennaiyin looked lethal on the counter-attack and had excellent chances to increase their lead. Dudu lacked finesse while Hans Mulder was not accurate with his shooting. With time running out and the ball increasingly bogged down in midfield, it looked like Chennaiyin would once again walk away with three points.
However, with eight minutes left, Zurdo curled the ball past Kerr's right and into the goal off a free kick. The keeper could have done better and even got a hand on the shot. Davide Succi had a crack deep into stoppage time but Pune, this time, held their shape well and threw themselves at challenges to earn a point.
Brief score:
FC Pune City 1 (Anibal Zurdo) drew with Chennaiyin FC 1 (Jeje Laklpekhlua).