Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) [India], December 30 : Kerala Blasters FC interim head coach TG Purushothaman felt his team didn't "deserve" to lose after their narrow 1-0 defeat to Jamshedpur FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in the Indian Super League.
The match began cautiously, with both teams adopting a measured approach in the first half. The breakthrough came in the 61st minute when Pratik Chaudhari scored the decisive goal, helping the Men of Steel extend their impressive home record.
Kerala Blasters FC made repeated attempts to clear a cross earned by the Men of Steel, but Chaudhari capitalized on a loose ball and netted it into the bottom left corner to score his third-ever ISL goal, and his first since December 2021 (for BFC vs CFC).
"We fought for each and every second, but only from a set piece, we conceded the goal. I think we didn't deserve to lose this game," Purushothaman said at the post-match press conference as quoted from ISL.com.
"We also created some chances but they were not converted. That's the part (of the game) we have to fight for, recover from this and go on positively," he added.
Kerala Blasters FC created several opportunities through players like Noah Sadaoui, Adrian Luna, and Kwame Peprah but struggled to find an equalizer despite sustained pressure. While the Blasters registered 15 shots, only four were on target, all brilliantly saved by Albino Gomes, highlighting their lack of clinical finishing.
Reflecting on the game, Purushothaman emphasized that the loss wasn't due to any individual player and stressed the importance of moving forward and focusing on their next challenge against Punjab FC on January 5.
"It's not regarding Noah (Sadaoui) or any other individual player; it's teamwork and as a team, we have to go on. It happens, they will go for some crucial players, and it happens in all the games, so we have to change it and as a team, we will work on that," he stated.
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