NorthEast United left it late to clinch a 3-3 draw against Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Chennai on Saturday.
Chennaiyin looked set to keep their semifinal aspirations alive as MacPherlin Dudu Omagbemi scored in the 81st minuite to hand his side a 3-2 lead and complete his hat-trick. This was the Nigerian’s second hat-trick in the ISL, after he had scored one for Goa in a 7-0 thrashing of Mumbai City last season.
NorthEast though equalised in the 7th minute of stoppage time through Shouvik Ghosh to upstage Chennaiyin.
Dudu had scored the game’s first goal in the 34th minute. NorthEast’s Nicolas Leandro Velez equalised fout minutes later. Dudu restored Chennaiyin’s lead at the stroke of half-time, only for Velez to restore parity in the 51st minute.
Dudu gave Chennaiyin the lead for the third time in the game in the 81st minute, but it too proved indecisive as Ghosh levelled the scores in the stoppage time. The draw has all but ruled out Chennaiyin’s chances of making the semifinal.
Brief Scores:
Chennaiyin FC 3 (Dudu x 3) draw with NorthEast United 3 (Nicolas Leandro Velez x 2, Shouvik Ghosh).