ISL 2022-23: After win over Kerala Blasters, BFC coach Grayson hopes to replicate show against Mumbai City FC
Bengaluru FC extended their winning streak to six games in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) after a 1-0 victory over arch-rivals Kerala Blasters at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday.
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FollowBengaluru FC defeated Kerala Blasters FC by a score of 1-0 on Saturday in their Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 encounter at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, and head coach Simon Grayson was thrilled with the result.
After Kerala Blasters FC put pressure on Bengaluru FC early in the first quarter, the in-form club took control of the game. In the 32nd minute of the game, Roy Krishna scored the game's only goal for the home team after receiving a feed from Javi Hernandez down the right flank, dribbling past Ruivah Hormipam.
The Blasters stepped up their game in the second half and produced a few scoring opportunities, but the home team played outstanding defence to maintain their lead.
With this victory, Bengaluru FC extended their winning streak to six games and went ahead of FC Goa and Odisha FC in the Hero ISL standings. Kerala Blasters FC, with 31 points from 18 games, held onto third place.
While speaking in the post-match press conference, the Blues' head coach Simon Grayson explained his game plan and highlighted his team's performance against the hard-working Kerala Blasters.
"We knew that Kerala Blasters FC will enjoy a lot of possession because they are a good team. They have some outstanding talents, especially at the top end of the pitch who can make things happen. If we scored 2, they were capable of scoring 3. So, I was quite happy to surrender a little bit of possession to them, knowing the football that we play doesn't get hurt. We created a lot of threats going forward and when we had to defend, we defended really well," he added.
"All the stats were probably in Kerala Blasters's favour. But we didn't have to make many saves and that was really pleasing to see. Our first clean sheet in a while, massive three points, and bragging rights in the rivalry," Grayson continued.
Adrian Luna, one of the hardest-working players in the league right now, has contributed to more goals since joining Kerala Blasters FC this summer than most other ISL players combined. Grayson insisted that they had the appropriate strategy against the Uruguayan midfielder despite acknowledging Luna's threat.
"I feel he (Adrian Luna) is the best player in the league and you got to give him the respect that he deserves. He can make things happen. He is a very clever player. So we worked a lot about it in the past week which is about not man-marking him but stopping the supply line to the wide channels and forward line. He has also got the ability to score from distance. But we carried it out really well, full credit to everyone," the Englishman stated.
In the Hero ISL with the Blue, Roy Krishna was having a disappointing season by his standards, but he scored the game's lone goal with a spectacular strike that not only gave him but the entire team more confidence. The head coach of the Blues claimed that Krishna was essential to his team's success and that of the Fijian striker, adding that he is capable of making key decisions at any time.
"Even when was not scoring, he was contributing to the team, his hold-up play was good, and he was linking up well with other players. He is a constant threat and now his confidence level will be higher with this goal," Grayson said.
Bengaluru FC will compete against Mumbai City FC, who defeated FC Goa 5-3 earlier on Saturday to win their second League Winners' Shield. Grayson implored his team to take advantage of this chance and guarantee their spot in the playoffs because he believes they must maintain this winning streak.
"Nights like tonight are for the fans and for us. It's got us close to the playoffs which is the most important thing. But now we have to recover in the next training session. The games are coming around very quickly. Hopefully, we're the first team to beat Mumbai City FC this season, but we will be missing a couple of players against Mumbai City FC due to suspension. It isn't easy but that gives the opportunity to the other players," he said.
"Our attention will be now on Wednesday and see if we can replicate this performance," Grayson concluded.
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