FC Goa registered the first win of Hero Indian Super League 2017-18 after beating Chennaiyin FC 3-2 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Sunday. Ferran Corominas, Manuel Lanzarote and Mandar Rao Dessai netted for Goa in a dominant first half display. Inigo Calderon and Raphael Augusto scored for Chennai in the second period, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Goa from claiming maximum points.

Goa head coach Sergio Lobera was pleased with his club’s first half showing but stressed the need to eradicate the errors his side made in the second half. “The first half was what we wanted it to be and the second half gave us more to learn and improve in the future. We made the most of all our opportunities in the first half and in the second half we gave the other team an opportunity to get back in the game. The goals we conceded were due to errors that we need to improve on for the games to come,” Lobera told reporters at the post-match press conference.

Lobera was quick to jump to the defence of his goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani, who was culpable for Chennai’s first goal having failed to deal with Calderon’s free-kick. “For me Kattimani is the best goal-keeper in the league, keeping in mind I have respect for all other players. If we win we win together, if we lose we lose together,” he said.

The Spanish coach also revealed what he told his players at the half-time interval. “We have a mentality to be the best during attacking as well as defending. I told the boys after the first half that ‘the game isn’t over; we have another half to go.’ We can’t always dominate a game, but I’d rather suffer and win than suffer and lose. I’m very happy for our fans as they deserve good results and I’m also proud of my players and the way they played,” Lobera said.

When asked if Chennai’s pitch suited his side’s style of play, Lobera added: “The pitch was definitely better in the first half than it was in the second. Also, blaming the pitch for any reason is not something I’d do as both teams play on the same pitch.”