Chennaiyin FC 2-2 Army Red FT: Marina Machans' player ratings from hard-fought tie | 2022 Durand Cup

Players tussling for the ball during the game. (Image Courtesy: Twitter/DurandCup)

In arguably the most thrilling game of the Durand Cup 2022 so far, Army Red FT managed to bag home a late equalizer and hold Chennaiyin FC to a 2-2 draw on Saturday.

FT: CFC 2️⃣-2️⃣ ARFT

Duker and Edwin scored late but it wasn’t enough.

#AllInForChennaiyin #DurandCup2022 #CFCARFT https://t.co/Fuwr1rR9Zc

At the Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal, the Army men opened the scoring against the run of play early in the second half through Lethaolen Khongsai. But the Marina Machans restored parity in the 89th minute through Julius Duker.

While the referee was close to blowing the final whistle, the game had a lot more twists and turns. In the fourth minute of injury time, Chennaiyin FC thought they had sealed the tie when Edwin Sydney Vanspaul thumped home a thunderous volley from outside the box. The Tamil Nadu club took a late, late lead but were once again caught napping from a set-piece.

In the 96th minute, Liton Shil headed home the equalizer from a corner to send the Imphal stadium buzzing. The Army Red FT secured a point in the dying moments of the game.

On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings from Chennaiyin FC's first game of the tournament:

Chennaiyin FC

#1 Debjit Majumder (GK) [5]: The veteran goalkeeper didn't have an extraordinary outing as he conceded two goals. While both came from set-pieces, Debjit could've done particularly better in terms of reaction when it came to the first goal.

#2 Aakash Sangwan [5.5]: The 26-year-old was beaten on the flanks on multiple occasions and often lacked physicality going into duels.

#3 Fallou Diagne [5.5]: The Senegalese defender was expected be the central jigsaw piece in the Marina Machans' backline. However, Diagne seemed nervy throughout his first official debut. He lost possession on multiple occasions and also failed to cover during corner routines, but was able to step in with a couple of crucial challenges.

#4 Narayan Das [5]: The West Bengal-born defender suffered throughout the game as Liton Shil got the better of him down the right flank.

#5 Ajith Kumar K [5.5]: Couldn't make much of an impact throughout the game and lost possession on multiple occasions.

#6 Anirudh Thapa [7]: Was Chennaiyin FC's most lively player throughout the game. Created multiple opportunities and got on the end of some as well. However, his lack of clinicality cost the Marina Machans a chance to add to their goal tally.

#7 Sajal Bag [5.5]: Although he looked lively in parts, Bag lacked accuracy and consistency when it came to finding passes.

#8 Jockson Dhas [6]: The 27-year-old started the game on a positive note. His workrate in the middle of the park was noticeable. Jockson got a loose ball in the 30th minute on the edge of the box and unleashed a piledriver, which went inches wide. Had a converted it, Jockson could've had a real influence on the game.

#9 Julius Duker [7.5]: The German international scored the first goal for Chennaiyin FC as he rose the highest to head home a corner from Thapa. Although he looked solid in midfield, fans will be expecting more from him from open play.

#10 Jiteshwor Singh [5.5]: The new signing was almost anonymous and had very little impact on the match.

#11 Petar Sliskovic [5.5]: In his first start, Sliskovic looked lively and continued to get at the end of multiple chances. However, the Croatian seemed to have left his shooting boots in the hotel as he failed to convert his chances.