Kerala Blasters crush Chennaiyin 3-0 to end 18-game run without a clean sheet
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Kerala Blasters ended their three-match losing streak in the Indian Super League with a thrilling 3-0 win over Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Sunday.
Jesus Jimenez created history by becoming the first Blasters player to score in six consecutive games. The Spaniard's 56th-minute opener eclipsed former striker Dimitrios Diamantakos' record of scoring in five straight matches between November and December 2022.
Jimenez began his record-breaking spree against Odisha on October 3 and got goals against Mohammedan SC, Bengaluru FC, Mumbai City and Hyderabad before tonight.
Noah Sadaoui added a second on the night with a left-footed shot from the centre of the box in the 70th minute. Captain Adrian Luna assisted the goal.
Playmaker Luna had also played a huge part in the opener as he had created space for his compatriot with a dashing run on the left that was followed by a smart cut back. Teenager Korou Singh was quick to meet the delivery, but it was Jimenez's smart positioning ahead of the last Chennaiyin defender that enabled him to calmly slot in a ball fired in at pace.
Substitute Rahul K P added a third goal in added time, an easy tap-in ensured by the hardworking Noah, who outmuscled Laldinliana before squaring for the young Thrissur midfielder for his first of the season.
Mikael Stahre had brought back Sachin Suresh in goal and paired Hormipam and Milos Drincic in the centre of the defence. The two centre-backs survived a couple of nervous moments early on but secured a clean sheet in the end, their first after conceding in 18 games, including a run of 11 stretching into the end of last season.
The win, their third this season, has taken the Blasters into the 8th position momentarily on 11 points from nine rounds. Chennaiyin have meanwhile slipped to the fifth position with 12 points off nine.