ATK’s search for their first Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 victory continues after they fell to a 3-2 defeat against Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Thursday. The visitors equalised twice through Zequinha and Njazi Kuqi, before falling short in front of Jeje Lalpekhlua’s brace and Inigo Calderon’s deflected goal.

In the post-match press conference, ATK’s head coach Teddy Sheringham looked disheartened by the last-minute loss but still backed his team. He said, “We need to control our mistakes. But I would never have a go at my players for making mistakes. They are trying to do the right things. If they keep showing that desire to keep coming back, not once but twice, I will be a happy man. We made a little mistake in the end (that led to Lalpekhlua’s 90th-minute winner), but I won’t point that mistake out on just one person. We win as a team and we lose as a team.”

Having failed to register their first win of the campaign in four attempts, the Englishman was asked how difficult it would be for his team to come back from their slump in form. He replied, “Well, there’s a saying in football that goes - when you’re winning games, you don’t feel like you’ll lose a game and when you’re losing games you don’t feel like you’ll win a game. I would have to go against that because my players are giving me the desire to get back into games and win games. Things will turn around.  When you look at the goals, for the first one, the linesman points to the goal kick but the referee gives a corner. For the second, we have another deflection. The third goal we allowed them to get into our box very very easily. I am sure it was a real spectacle for the neutrals who were watching the game, but that’s no good from my point of view.”

Thursday’s match also featured ATK’s star man, Robbie Keane, who made his Hero ISL debut. The Irishman’s introduction in the second half did add more power to ATK’s attack, while his wonderful pass set up Kuqi for ATK’s second equaliser. Speaking about him, Sheringham said, “Yes, he made quite an impact, without a doubt. I wanted him to get on the pitch and make things happen and I think that he did that. He was fantastic.”