Mohun Bagan trumped Tiddim Road Athletic Union (TRAU) 3-1 on Sunday evening and coach Kibu Vicuna could not have been happier.
The Spaniard has constantly maintained that his side is taking one match at a time and not thinking about the title but after defeating TRAU, the coach admitted that Bagan are within reach of their 'objective'.
"It was a very difficult match and we started really well. We played very good football. But I feel we lacked a bit in the last 15 minutes of the first half. They had chances to score and they also scored one goal. In the second half, we started well, it was an even game but we controlled the match till the red card to Komron Tursunov. They tried to attack but they hadn’t any clear chances. TRAU are a difficult team, in the set-pieces they were dangerous. But I am happy with the performance of the team, we got the three points and we are closer to our objective," stated Vicuna.
But the former Wisla Plock coach vented his displeasure over Komron Tursunov's sending-off, as he deemed the second yellow card to be unnecessary.
Kiyan Nassiri, was handed his debut and Vicuna was full of praise for his performance and also lauded the progress made by other youngsters like Subha Ghosh and Sk. Sahil.
"He (Kiyan Nassiri) is a boy who has trained with us from the beginning of the season. He has improved very much. He has a lot of potential because he can play in a lot of positions. He can play as a striker, winger and even I think he can play as a right-back. He is strong, fast and he understands the game. He is an intelligent boy. I am happy that he made his debut because he deserved it.
Development of U22 players: In the team, we have five U22 players. We have Sk. Sahil who plays regularly. This is his first season as a defensive midfielder because he used to play as a central defender at the youth level. Nongdamba Naorem was not at his best today but he is a player with a lot of talent. He is having a very good season. We have Subha Ghosh who didn’t play today but he has a bright future, he can score," signed off the 48-year old.
