FC Goa picked up an important victory away from home as they defeated FC Pune City 4-0 in order to keep their hopes of booking a berth in the play-offs alive.
The win takes Goa to the sixth position with 24 points and they have another two matches to go.
“I think we broke the negative trend which was very important for us. To do that in a stadium like this and against a team like that and in the manner, we did, completely changed our dynamics. But, changing the dynamic is the first step. It changes only when you maintain continuity. For me, this game does not exist anymore. I have five minutes to celebrate. Now, I have to start thinking about ATK,” said coach Sergio Lobera.
“We returned to our football. We had the ball and control of the game. We were capable of generating chances and dominated against a team that has done very well this season. Tactically, we executed perfectly what we needed to do today. I am proud of the players, they demonstrated personality and belief in themselves and they were capable of turning around the negativity,” he heaped praise on his players.
This was the first time this season that Lobera’s side managed to keep a clean sheet. However, Lobera instead stated that not conceding a goal wasn’t very important for him.
Next Match
“I am more happy about the fact we scored four goals than we kept a clean sheet. For me, the maintaining clean sheet is just an anecdote because we could have won 5-1, 6-1 and the context would not have changed. The important part is our offensive mentality. We created chances, were effective in the final third and took our chances,” he said.
Referee Pranjal Banerjee was once again at the centre of controversy as FC Pune City coach Ranko Popovic expressed his disappointment over the decisions given.
“I don't speak on the referee, they have a tough job and you have to respect that,” he signed off.
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