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ISL 2022-23: Despite win over NorthEast United FC, Bengaluru FC's coach Grayson wants team to be more ruthless

Brazilian defender Alan Costa was the hero for Bengaluru FC once again, scoring in identical fashion with a header to seal all three points on the road and complete the double for his team.

football ISL 2022-23: Despite win over NorthEast United FC, Bengaluru FC coach Simon Grayson wants team to be more ruthless snt
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First Published Jan 7, 2023, 1:33 PM IST

The latest match of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 between Bengaluru FC and NorthEast United FC took place on Friday at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, and the Blues snatched all three points in the final seconds of the game to defeat the Tigers. Bengaluru FC head coach Simon Grayson said his team deserved the win.

Also read: ISL 2022-23: Odisha FC and East Bengal FC face similar challenges in pursuit of consistency

Sivasakthi Narayanan scored the game's first goal for Bengaluru FC in the 50th minute after a cagey first half set the stage for a stunning conclusion. In the 66th minute, Romain Philippoteaux scored the equaliser for the Highlanders, but Alan Costa's injury-time goal gave Grayson's team a 2-1 victory and three points.

Grayson stressed the need for his players to be more ruthless and take advantage of opportunities rather than waiting until it was too late. With the victory, Bengaluru FC completed a sweep of the Highlanders, with Alan Costa scoring late winners in each game.

"I thought we played well again tonight. Good in possession, we've got to some good areas probably times, it has summed up our season. We're getting to the final attacking area and we just make the wrong decision or don't have the composure to get a good cross or the right pass or ultimately shoot when we should be shooting. Javi Hernandez has got a fantastic left foot and turns down three or four chances to shoot when he's inside the 18-yard box. So we've got to be more ruthless, more clinical. And it was again that we deserved to win but we made it very difficult for ourselves and we'd have been hugely disappointed if we had not won again tonight," Grayson stated in the post-match press conference.

Bengaluru FC's victory in the Durand Cup was spectacular, but the Blues have struggled to maintain their winning ways in the ISL, where they currently occupy the eighth spot with four victories, eight draws, and one tie. The club needs to make better decisions, according to Grayson, who emphasised that this separates them from the league's elite teams.

"We've got some good players on paper, at the top end of the pitch, but we've not been sure of the composure, the quality that the players have got and their decision-making as well. So that's a big part, you look at the teams that are at the top, and they're making good decisions. They're ruthless when they get into that final third. I think the structure of our team is good, defensively we look very sound and we make a few mistakes. Well, that's just football, but we need to be better at the top end of the pitch," Grayson stated.

"We knew that we had to play well defensively in terms of our possession, but when we get the ball, make sure we're very confident and of the quality and ask questions of the opposition regardless whoever you're playing, that's what we've tried to do, and that has led us down probably again tonight where we made hard work of a game that we really were 60 odd per cent possession and loads of shots. We weren't ruthless enough, and that is probably where we've been all season, unfortunately," he added.

Grayson also expressed gratitude for the support of Bengaluru FC supporters who travelled to Guwahati.

"This is a long way from Bengaluru and (it is) fantastic to see the number of supporters we had. To be fair I think everyone's expected nobody but it's great. So getting the victory tonight is a joint victory for us as a staff and players, but ultimately for the supporters as well who've made the journey and the ones that are back in the city and watching because we haven't won as many matches who would like to have done this season. There are still games left in the season that we can certainly still win. And we've got to keep trying to win as many games as possible until the season finishes." Grayson said.

The youthful players that started the game, Sivasakthi Narayanan and Rohit Kumar, impressed Bengaluru FC's head coach. Narayan, who opened the scoring, started in attack ahead of Sunil Chettri.

"Players have come into the team tonight and have done really well that maybe weren't expecting to be in the starting eleven. The youngsters Siva (Sivasakhti Narayan) and Rohit (Kumar) as well and making tough decisions to leave really experienced players out there missing Pablo (Perez) through injury and (Namgyal) Bhutia was out because he had a virus the last few days but it's a squad game and you have to make tough decisions and the wins for everybody,” he concluded.

NorthEast United FC remain in last place and will host FC Goa at the Indira Gandhi National Stadium in Guwahati on January 15, whereas Bengaluru FC will host Odisha FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore on January 14, with 13 points on the board after 13 games.

Also read: ISL 2022-23: Playoffs challenge on the line as Chennaiyin FC takes on Jamshedpur FC

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