Jamshedpur FC missed out on a semi-final spot in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 after succumbing to a 3 – 0 defeat at the hands of FC Goa on Sunday at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur. Goalkeeper Subrata Paul got sent off early in the game, forcing the league debutants to play most of the game with 10-men.

Addressing the media during the post-match press conference was the host’s head coach Steve Coppell, who highlighted the difference Paul’s red card made to their preparations. “Obviously it makes a huge difference when your goalkeeper gets sent off seven to eight minutes into the game,” he stated. “It changes the emphasis of the team. The goals conceded had nothing to do with defensive lapses. It had everything to do with playing with ten men. For us, to overcome losing the goalkeeper was a massively difficult task.”

The Englishman further explained how his team could not implicate their game-plan. “We had a game-plan to close them down and limit their space,” revealed Coppell. “We tried to stop them playing out from the goalkeeper. But when the game-plan got disrupted after Subrata was sent off within eight and a half minutes, all of a sudden everything fell apart.”

Before signing off for the season, the former Manchester United winger added, “We did not get a chance to go at them and we wanted to go at them. We could not really get on the front foot and throw the punches because we played almost all of the match with ten men.”