AGENCIES
KOLKATA
Salgaocar FC have had one of the worst starts to their I-League campaign having lost consecutive games, this to Mohun Bagan at the Barasat Stadium, Kolkata. They conceded three goals in the first half, another after the break before managing to pull back a couple of goals.
“We came up against a very strong unit and we had defensive problems. The strike force of Mohun Bagan proved too heavy for our defenders. We played the ball in the middle and did a decent job but defensively we struggled,” said coach Malky Thomson.
“The two goals came in far too late. But at least the score-line is 4-2 which easily could have been 4-0 another day. We knew they were strong and they proved it,” he added.
Thongkhosiem Haokip made his debut for the Greens after coming on as a substitute but had to be replaced by Manandeep Singh late in the game. “Haokip twisted his ankle and we did not want to risk it further so I threw in Manandeep,” he replied.
He praised the defensive strength of Mohun Bagan and chose not to comment on the penalty which Cornell Glen won after being fouled by Gurjinder Kumar inside the box.
“When you are a champion team, all aspects are good. My boys, Jackichand (Singh) and Manandeep had a tough time on the field. (Penalty) I have nothing to say. The referee makes a decision and you have to stand by it. But the refereeing is great. Even in the last match the standard was high,” he opined.
The Scottish coach backed Leny Pereira to come good and highlighted that the Goan defender doesn’t have much experience at the top level to compete against the likes of Cornell Glen.
“Leny is not that experienced in the I-League but he impressed in the Goa Pro League and I believed he deserved a spot in the team today. He left a mark today but he was up against Glen who is a handful for any player. We are yet to pull the jigsaw together at Salgaocar in terms of team combination. The boys need to be stronger,” he mentioned.
The Goan outfit next travel to Mumbai to face Khalid Jamil’s Mumbai FC at the Cooperage Stadium. Thomson wants to further strengthen his side in defensive positions ahead of next week’s clash.
“We have learnt our lessons and this was a very tough team but we are ready for the task up ahead. We have to strengthen our squad. We are looking at some players and we believe our defence is not that strong. So let's see what we can do,” he said.
