Kerala Blasters FC interim head coach Purushothaman showered praise on his team’s collective effort after a 1-0 win against Punjab FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi in the ongoing Indian Super League on Sunday.
The Yellow Tuskers talismanic striker Noah Sadaoui scored from a spot kick at the stroke of half-time to score the decisive goal of the match. The visitors were reduced to nine men after Milos Drincic and Aiban Dohling’s red cards in the second half but they kept the opposition at bay to bag all three crucial points.
The tourists had 51.3% possession and took two shots on target.
“Yeah, it was a difficult match as we were playing an away match. We dominated the game, but when we got that (second) red card, we were struggling. As I said, these boys are very talented and technically sound, so they can be flexible to all the tactics that we used,” Purushothaman said in the post-match press conference.
“So, they made it quite natural to make it an easy way. It’s not an easy way, but in a way, it was what we needed, and we achieved it. That’s it. It’s teamwork; as a team we won the match,” Purushothaman continued.
Meanwhile, the Shers were missing the services of Luka Majcen and Pulga Vidal due to suspension but Purushothaman said they wanted to tackle the opposition as a team.
“It’s not regarding Indian players or foreign players; it’s about the team we are playing against. So, we need to overcome this as a team,” Purushothaman shared.
“We still need some specific things to improve, and we are working on it. Hopefully, we will overcome all the obstacles like this,” he further added.
Purushothaman shared his delight in registering a clean sheet in a challenging situation, saying, “Lucky that we kept a clean sheet. It’s good for the team.”
“The red cards happen sometimes; I’m not blaming or pointing at anyone. We have to overcome all the obstacles like this to achieve as a team; teamwork is the most important thing for me and for us,” Purushothaman signed off.
Kerala Blasters FC will next take on Odisha FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi on Monday.
