ATK undone on either side of half-time by Bengaluru
KOLKATA: Well might Bengaluru FC coach Carles Cuadrat have been thinking of what to tell his boys at half-time when ATK conceded what, according to their coach Steve Coppell, was a silly free-kick. Miku’s finish swung past Manuel Lanzarote in the ATK ‘wall’ and entered the top corner of Arindam Bhattacharja’s goal.
“One moment of genius changed things. We were lucky to score at that time,” said Cuadrat, the Bengaluru FC coach.
It cancelled Komal Thatal’s quality finish in the 15th minute and perhaps meant it was Coppell whose half-time talk had to change. Exactly what that goal did to ATK could be gauged by the fact that Bengaluru FC went ahead less than a minute into the second half through Erik Paartalu’s side-volley. ATK hadn’t switched on — no one challenged Paartalu when Balwant Singh’s clearance, also following a freekick, fell kindly for the Australian — and a team Coppell said could be the yardstick to measure one’s worth wouldn’t let such a slip go unpunished. “Our organisation (then) was really disappointing,” said Coppell.
ATK nearly hit back immediately but Thatal’s screamer, again after a free-kick, narrowly missed the mark. They had lost Kalu Uche in the 41st minute; the Nigerian striker was cynically hacked by Albert Serran in ATK’S half and hurt his quadriceps, said Coppell. That meant lesser workload for Serran and Juanan at the heart of the Bengaluru FC defence.
JAMSHEDPUR FACE GOA
JAMSHEDPUR: FC Goa coach Sergio Lobera is banking on his team’s collective effort to tide over star striker Ferran Corominas’ absence when they take on Jamshedpur FC. Last season’s Golden Boot winner Corominas has once again been a key for Goa with the Spanish forward currently the joint top-scorer with six goals and four assists to his name.