South Goa: Much had been made of the fact that there was yet to be an Indian goalscorer after four games. Anirudh Thapa took barely a minute to set that right. His early strike coupled with a penalty from Esmael Goncalves (26′) gave Chennaiyin FC a 2-1 win over Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Tilak Maidan here on Tuesday.
Last season’s golden boot winner Nerijus Valskis (37′) pulled one back but a string of misses ensured that Jamshedpur boss Owen Coyle started the season with a defeat to the team he managed last season.
Thapa got the game off to an electrifying start, scoring in the very first minute. Rafael Crivellaro won the ball and found Goncalves on the right flank. His low cross was powered into the net by the midfielder, the exuberance of his celebration matching that of his finish.