Pune FC suffered their second consecutive defeat going down 0-2 to Mohun Bagan in an I-League Round 19 encounter at the Balewadi Stadium on Saturday.
Speaking at the post-match Press Conference, Pune FC Coach Karim Bencherifa discussed various topics.
Giving his views on the game, he said, “We always try to win every game that we play. We never park the bus and always try to play football. Of course when you lose, you are disappointed. This is the second defeat in a week or so and yes we are not happy.”
Coach Bencherifa further explained, “After our win against Royal Wahingdoh, we had a break which was not good. I had said the same back then because the momentum was there with us. As of now, I welcome the small break before our next game two weeks later. The boys need a break and we will try to find new resources and energy to face the end of the season. It will be tough, but we will try our best.”
Comparing the teams, he said, “Yes we missed a few players, but I don’t think so (that it made a difference). I think we played against a very strong and a physical team. One of the things I did feel was that we didn’t compete in few departments, like they won most of the 50-50 balls. But other than that we didn’t look bad going forward. They were very clinical and finished off the few chances they got.”
Acknowledging the fan support, Coach Bencherifa added, “I would like to thank our fans who came in numbers and were positive and cheered us throughout the game. They even responded well after it when we thanked them. They also recognised that the boys were brave in terms of effort and intention. We were always positive and worked hard. We also ran a lot and tried hard and that was something that was very much recognised by our fans. I am disappointed for the fans that we didn’t win the game.”
