ISL 2022-23: We looked a threat every time we went forward: Bengaluru FC’s Simon Grayson

Bengaluru FC head coach Simon Grayson feels they looked like a threat every time they went forward against ATK Mohun Bagan at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata on Sunday. The Blues won by 2-1 to bag three crucial points and Grayson was delighted with the performance of his team.

ATK Mohun Bagan had the lion’s share of possession in the first half but both teams had equal chances. However, Javi Hernandez scored in the 78th minute to give a lead to the visitors.

Roy Krishna then doubled the tourists’ lead in the 90th minute while Dimitri Petratos scored the consolation goal for the Mariners. Simon Grayson’s team took five shots on target whereas ATK Mohun Bagan took four attempts.

This is the first-ever victory against ATK Mohun Bagan for Bengaluru FC and after a five-game winning streak, the Blues have made their way into the playoffs spot.

“We had plenty of attempts on goal but not enough to work the goalkeepers. At half-time, I mentioned to the players that we were very good in possession. I thought our shape was very good. We limited some really good attacking players to very few opportunities. But on the reverse of it, we needed to be better in possession. We had to get the balance right to keep control of the ball better, which would allow us to get more opportunities and we certainly did that in the second half and we looked a threat every time we went forward in the second half,” Grayson said in the official post-match press conference.

Bengaluru FC’s players have peaked at the right time in the tournament and they will look to continue the good show for the team.

“Even when we were losing some games early on in the season, we weren’t playing too badly. We were making mistakes defensively and getting punished for them. And when we did get opportunities to score goals, we didn’t take them opportunities. What we did was we kept having the belief and kept working hard in training and confidence plays a big part in that all of a sudden you get a result and then your confidence gets better and bigger. And then we come to where we are now with five games that we’ve won on the trot. We’ve got to make sure that we stay humble and we make sure that we keep preparing and working even harder because football is a difficult sport to keep continuing with success and we’re pleased with how things have gone,” Grayson said.

Bengaluru FC will next take on Kerala Blasters FC on Saturday at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru.