East Bengal FC edged past Chennaiyin FC 1-0 in the Indian Super League at the Salt Lake Stadium on Monday. A second half strike by in-form attacker Nandhakumar Sekar was all that separated the two teams.

Both teams made forays into each others half and got shots towards goal but rarely did they test the opposition goalkeeper.

Eventually the breakthrough came through a wicked deflection.

Victor Vazquez’s hopeful cross from the left into a crowded box got a touch off the head of Chennaiynin FC’s Jordan Murray and fell kindly to the unmarked Nandhakumar on the edge of the box.

He played a shot towards the far post that goalkeeper Debjit Majumdar got into position to save, but the ball took a wicked deflection off the foot of Bikash Yumnam and flew into the net.