ATK were edged 4 – 3 by Delhi Dynamos FC in Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi on Saturday. The loss was ATK’s sixth in a winless run of seven games and they also dropped a place in the standings to go ninth. The Kolkata-based outfit were leading 3 – 1 at one point before Delhi completed a sensational comeback.

Addressing the media at the post-match press conference was their interim head coach Ashley Westwood, under whom ATK are yet to register a win. The Englishman explained what went wrong for his team despite having a two-goal lead. “When they (Delhi) scored their second goal to make it 3 – 2, our heads dropped,” Westwood inferred. “We were not playing too well. But I still thought we could win the match because you are expected to see the match out. But the defence gave them too much space and the game stretched. As individuals, if you don’t enjoy defending, how are you supposed to keep clean sheets?”

Ryan Taylor went off injured and Westwood admitted that it had an effect on the team. “Even after stretching himself, he (Taylor) tried to play and get involved, but eventually we had to take him off,” he revealed. “That also means we had to reshuffle our back, change our formation a bit and play with four foreigners.”

Meanwhile, Delhi head coach Miguel Portugal lauded Manuel Arana, who turned the game on its head after coming on after the hour-mark. “We made a bad mistake from which ATK scored the third goal and then I changed the formation,” he said. “I brought on Manuel Arana who changed the course of the game in the last 15 minutes. He did not start because we have games in quick succession. But I am happy I made the change to bring him on.”

The Spaniard also seemed happy with his team’s recent performances despite going four games without a loss. “In the last 3-4 matches, the team has showed more concentration, more competitiveness, and more penetration,” Portugal remarked. “For that, we are playing well. Today, we conceded three goals and one of them was from a mistake. But we played very well in attack. We scored four goals which won us the game.”