Krishna: We took our chances
Roy Krishna believes improved finishing helped ATK get their Indian Super League campaign up and running with a dominant 5-0 victory over Hyderabad yesterday. Playing at home, Krishna got his first goal for the Kolkata-based club, who were desperate for a result after losing last week’s season opener to Kerala Blasters FC.
But it was obvious from the first whistle that Krishna and Co. were not thinking about the loss, as the two-time ISL winners put five past a struggling Hyderabad. Australian forward David Williams, who led ATK’s attack with Krishna, opened the scoring at Salt Lake Stadium with a well-time finish in the bottom left corner.
It was Krishna who struck next with a neat finish from outside the box after receiving the ball from Williams, his cushioned shot going in off the post.
There is pressure on Williams and
Krishna to perform this season after being labelled one of the most lethal strike partnerships in the ISL. And if this was a sign of things to come, then ATK fans are in for a treat as the side chase its first title since 2016.
“I think we both played well,” Krishna said in a post-match interview.
“Last weekend’s game, we had chances but we didn’t take them and today we took them so we want to continue this momentum into the next game.”
The Vodafone Fijian national team captain missed a few sitters against Kerala, leading to concerns that he may take some time to settle in a new competition.
But the 32-year-old put those suggestions to bed with a clinical display in front of ATK’s home fans. Williams scored once more, while a brace from Spanish forward Edu Garcia confirmed the victory, with attention now turning to Thursday’s (2am Fiji time) game against 2015 champions Chennaiyin FC. ATK coach Antonia Lopez Habas was a relieved man after the match, praising his side for playing at ‘a very high level’ compared to last week.
“Football is like this,” Habas said. “One day you lose, the other day, you win. It’s important that the team keeps scoring. The confidence will be there now. We need to respect our opponents and continue working. We can’t relax. We can’t win 5-0 every day. It’s impossible.”