NorthEast United FC were held to a 1-1 draw by Bengaluru FC in Match 56 of the 2020-21 Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on Tuesday. A second-half goal from Rahul Bheke negated Luis Machado’s first-half goal for the Highlanders, and Bengaluru interim head coach Naushad Moosa urged his team to take the positives from their first point in five matches.

“We have to take the positives from the point that we have got. It was not easy giving away an easy goal. From here it’s very important to keep my players motivated and see that they do not feel low. We have eight days (before the next match) to work on our mistakes,” Moosa said at the post-match press conference.

The Highlanders’ Portuguese winger Machado found a lot of space in Bengaluru’s defensive third before scoring this third goal of the season. It was, however, set up by Federico Gallego who deceived the Bengaluru defence smartly before providing the assist. Moosa was not pleased with the way his team conceded their goal but was happy with the overall effort put in by the Blues.

“The way we conceded the goal was very unexpected. But I am very happy with the way the team was playing. They put in a lot of effort and were moving the ball around. We had a good game and I am happy with the way the boys played. It was a team effort. Everyone was motivated for a positive result,” said the 49-year-old.

Watch Naushad Moosa's Post-Match Press conference here:

Meanwhile, NorthEast United assistant coach Alison Kharsyntiew said: “Our objective is to get the three points but to play against Bengaluru is not easy. One point is good enough for us. This will keep the positive energy in the team and it will give us confidence to carry into the next game.”

A goalkeeping error by Gurmeet helped Bheke score the equaliser but the assistant coach defended his custodian. “We were leading by one goal but sometimes mistakes can happen. He did well throughout the game except for that one mistake. I hope that he can learn from it, prove himself in the next game and gain more confidence,” said Alison.

The Highlanders return to action on Sunday when they take on Jamshedpur FC, while the Blues have eight days to recover before their clash against Kerala Blasters FC on January 20.

Watch Alison Kharsyntiew's Post-Match Press conference here: