Into the channels: 16/12/2014 (Part 1)

Chennaiyin 3 (3) - 1 (4) Kerala Blasters

Earlier in the Indian Super League season, I watched both these sides lose 3-0. Yet, they both progressed to the end of season semi-finals, the victor of this two-legged game due to meet that of FC Goa vs Atletico de Kolkata, which is played tomorrow, in Mumbai on Sunday.

Kerala came into the game having taken a three goal lead in the first match. Though the tie was still far from over - they'd finished 4th in the league, whereas Marco Materazzi's Chennai side were top of the pile.

Materazzi was on a mission to wind up Kerala

Indian striker Jeje hooked this shot into the arms of Kerala's 2nd choice keeper, Sandeep

Materazzi and Mendy's incitement inspired Jamie McAllister to get himself sent off, for a second yellow

Mendy, 33, still had the pace to trouble the Kerala defence

Coach David James did a lot of swearing and pointing at his own body

This header from Mikael Silvestre, just before half time, teed up a second half in which Chennai needed 2 goals to force extra time

Marco Materazzi was doing a good job of being a 41 year old playmaker, whilst also trying to get more Kerala players sent off. By the start of the second half, what had been constant Chennai attacking - offset with a bit of Keralan resistance - became an onslaught. Iain Hume was stuck up front for Kerala, and though he worked hard, he hardly had anything to chase; the tournament's top scorer, Elano (8 goals), came on to try and up the ante for the home side.

A penalty presented Marco Materazzi with an opportunity to halve the deficit

Materazzi's face, before stepping up to slot home the penalty

Materazzi's face, before having to retake the penalty thanks to a neat bit of encroachment from general attacking let-down Maurice

The ball in this picture has just rebounded off the advertising board

After Materazzi's penalty miss, Chennai looked shellshocked. The wind came out from behind their sails, and instead blew the football around the pitch aimlessly, until on 75 minutes, Kerala defender Jinghan, and keeper Sandeep, completely failed to communicate their intentions to one another, leading to this rather comical own goal.

Bruno Pelissari's cross/shot trickles just wide, as Chennai chase an equaliser

And then! A very late goal from the Hand of Jeje sends the match into extra time 

Elano brings a funny-looking save from the third choice Kerala keeper

This shot really shows how Chennai were controlling the game against the 10 Blasters

... until Materazzi got sent off, for this challenge, in which he may have appeared to the referee to be stamping on his opponent, but was actually standing still to block the ball: a poor decision

Materazzi tried to coach from the tunnel

 The first half of extra time ended goalless, but the Materazzi red card led to a much duller, slower second half.

There was, for the first time in the game, some relief for Kerala. The pressure from Chennai relieved, Kerala's former Scotland midfielder Stephen Pearson broke into the home side's penalty area, and deftly chipped keeper Paul Shilton (yes, he's actually called that), to make the tie 4-3 to Kerala on aggregate.

Bojan Djordjic compounded the acrimonious end to Chennai's afternoon, and to their season, getting sent off despite spending the entire game as a substitute