Kolkata, Feb 28:
Chennaiyin FC head coach Owen Coyle expressed disappointment with the result as his team fell to East Bengal FC with a 1-0 scoreline in theIndian Super League (ISL) match at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here on Monday night.
In a hard-fought battle, the Marina Machans suffered a defeat on the road. The intense competitiveness persistedbetween both teams throughout the game.
However, the turning point occurred in the 65th minute when Nandhakumar Sekar’s tightly angled shotdeflected off Chennaiyin FC defender Bikash Yumnam and found its waypast the goalkeeper. This crucial goal secured the lead for the Red andGold Brigade, ultimately concluding the match with a 1-0 victory forEast Bengal FC.
“Obviously, I think what you’ve got to do isanalyse the whole game, and there’s no doubt that we should not beleaving here having lost the game. We were excellent on Monday night,” statedCoyle at the post-match press conference.
Lamenting the missedopportunities, he added, “We came to a magnificent stadium and a real footballing city, against a very prestigious and big club, and wetotally dominated the game. We were outstanding, given even the injurieswe had. But what you’ve got to do when you’re in top-end games, youhave to take your chances, you have to get in front. And, we didn’t dothat with some wonderful opportunities.”
Having participated in16 matches this season, Sekar secured his fifth goal in a stroke ofluck. The goal came from a deflection off his shot. Prior to thatmoment, the hosts had effectively thwarted East Bengal FC’s attackingefforts, showcasing a solid defensive performance.
Sharing his thoughts on the goal that cost his team all three points, the Scottish tactician said, “We made an error from the corner. And I think it wa sNandha, he set his shot. And sometimes when you’re not carrying thatlock back lock that you need, it’s deflected off Bikash and over Debjit (Majumder) because Debjit had it covered. So a little bit, obviously thedeflection, and a little bit of luck for Nanda (led to the goal).”
Motivated to move on from the loss, and directing his focus to the upcomingmatches, he said, “We’ll lick our wounds, pick ourselves up and getready to go again.”
