Shameel Chembakath hails team’s hard work after win against Mohammedan SC

Hyderabad FC interim head coach Shameel Chembakath was delighted after his team secured a 3-1 win against Mohammedan SC at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad in the ongoing Indian Super League on Saturday. 

Allan Paulista and Ramhlunchhunga scored in the first half to give a 2-0 to the Nawabs. Makan Chothe pulled one back for the Kolkata-based club but Joseph Sunny put the game to bed in the injury time to give all three points to his team.

“It was a much-needed win. We just planned the way we wanted to win the second home match here in Hyderabad. Good first half, but we couldn’t play how we wanted to play. We couldn’t keep the ball well. Lots of silly errors, mispasses. But of course, when you score a goal, when you get the chance, you are converting it; it is one of the positive things which we need to take the momentum (from). In the second half, I gave the message very clearly that we needed to balance and focus more on the counter attacks and defend more from their long balls. We needed to be calm and control the tempo of the game. Moreover, credit goes to the boys for how they played,” Chembakath said in the post-match press conference.

The head coach was happy with the way they defended as well as attacked against the opposition.

“I’m happy because you cannot just go win with one goal conceded and it was from a set piece. I think it is one of the things we need to work on more, is the (defending from) set-pieces maybe. It’s just a goal which we conceded at the near post. But how we stopped them, the attacking part also we were more intense, and I think we did pretty well in the defence,” he explained.

The gaffer also lauded the collective effort of the team, stating players have worked hard in the training sessions.

“Players are giving more in terms of their hard work and determination, that is part of the team. We wanted everyone of us in unity, on and off the pitch. And that is working well. And of course, when you are working hard as a team and you are there, you will get the result for sure,” he said.

Hyderabad FC will next take on Odisha FC at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar on Friday.