Guwahati: With their backs against the wall, NorthEast United FC responded to beat table-toppers Chennaiyin FC 3-0 courtesy of an exhilarating first half performance at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium on Thursday evening.

An early strike by Durga Boro (10') followed by a quick-fire Massamba Sambou (21', 23') brace secured a convincing win for the home team over arguably the best side in the Indian Super League (ISL) so far.

At the post match award ceremony, Hero of the match Massamba Lo Sambou commented, "Scoring these two goals is not important for me. What is important is that my team has earned 3 points in today's game."

Coach Ricki Herbert was proud at the post game press conference and said, "At the 24th minute 3-0 looked like a Brazil versus Germany! It's about the final result , we were quite convincing . Sometimes you get that gut feeling and I thought the boys were at the top of their game today. If we continue like this we have a real chance . We embraced what we wanted to do."

There were four changes made to the NorthEast side that lost to Delhi Dynamos FC. Massamba Lo Sambou, Felipe de Castro, Durga Boro and Boithang Haokip came in for Isaac Chansa, Dong-Hyun Do, Robin Gurung and the suspended Aiborlang Khongjee.

Apart from long-term absentees Elano Blumer and Stiiven Mendoza, Chennaiyin FC were also missing Mikael Silvestre and Bojan Djordjic due to injuries as Jairo Suarez and Jean Maurice came into the team.

Ricki Herbert set his side up in a 3-5-2 formation while Marco Matercazzi attempted to mirror that shape by deploying an identical system. However, it was was clear even in the initial stages that NorthEast were the far more functional team with three at the back.

The hosts began on the front foot and bombarded the Chennai penalty box early on. They worked some good openings and were dominating play as Nodingliana Ralte crossed for Kondwani Mtonga who headed over the bar under pressure from Gennaro Bracigliano in the sixth minute.

Two minutes later, Boro nearly ran onto a throughball but the keeper got there first. NorthEast deserved a goal for the pressure they exerted on Chennaiyin FC and got the breakthrough in the 10th minute.

A cross from the right drew a poor defensive header from Eric Djemba-Djemba which struck Len and dropped for Boro who did well to put it past the onrushing Bracigliano to give his side the lead.

With twenty minutes played, the ball fell to Koke after a free-kick and he had the awareness to roll it across the edge of the box for Ralte whose touch took him into the box and his powerful shot forced a good save from the keeper at the near post.

From the resultant corner, NorthEast's relentless pressure paid divendends again as Massamba Sambou rose highest to glance his header past the keeper.

In an incredible period of play for the hosts, they took an unprecedented three-goal lead in the 23rd minute. Koke's fantastic delivery from a deep free-kick found Massamba once more who towered above Djemba-Djemba and powered his header into the far corner.

The visitors eventually mustered an effort on goal in the 28th minute as Jeje's acrobatic effort from a cross was straight at Rehenesh.

NorthEast continued to press forward and Boro latched on to a great pass from Miguel Garcia in the 33rd minute. The forward then crossed the ball into the six-yard box but it narrowly evaded Len who dove in head first.

Len had another chance two minutes later as he was put clean through on the counter-attack but his finish was straight at the keeper.

In the 37th minute, Len was in the thick of things again as he brilliantly robbed the ball off Dhanachandra Singh and went through on goal but Bernard Mendy came across and deflected his effort behind for a corner.

NorthEast bossed the opening 45 minutes and went into the break deservedly 3-0 up. In the second half though, the hosts adopted a more conservative approach and rightly so.

Chennai did have the ball in the back of the net on one occasion in the 50th minute when Maurice headed a ball on for substitute Cristian Hildago to stab in. However, the Spaniard was clearly offside and so the linesman signalled.

Just before the hour mark though, Hildago latched onto a ball from Maurice and instinctively drilled it across the face of the goal. Balwant Singh however, was caught on his heels as he failed to get a touch on it and it fizzed by harmlessly.

In the following minute, Balwant tussled with Massamba and was able to lay the ball off for Maurice who burst into the box and rifled in a shot but Rehenesh was able to make the save.

Felipe de Crasto then had a first-time shot from range saved by Brazigliano in the 66th minute before NorthEast were reduced to ten men when Joan Capdevila picked up a second booking in the 72nd minute.

The home side then defended their lines stubbornly as Chennaiyin FC were only afforded a few half chances. Balwant met a hopeful ball into the box with a header but saw it go well wide in the 85th minute.

In injury time, Pradeep's initial shot was blocked and his effort on the second attempt received a touch from Maurice on the way through but not enough to direct on target.

The Highlanders saw the game out to secure a vital 3-0 win that lifted them off the bottom of the table and into 5th place, right on the cusp of those play-off spots.

The home crowd in Guwahati undoubtedly left the stadium in high spirits after watching their side put the league leaders to the sword in an incredible victory.