Kerala Blasters FC and Jamshedpur FC played out a 0-0 draw in Match 73 of Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2020-21 at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim on Wednesday. The Blasters created many chances and even hit the woodwork thrice but were unable to break the deadlock.

At the post-match press conference, Kerala’s assistant coach Ishfaq Ahmed insisted that his team should have secured the win given the number of chances that they created. “We created enough chances, and we should have converted them. We have to blame ourselves. We should have taken our chances and we should have scored. This is why we feel like we should have the three points,” he said.

Deputizing in the absence of head coach Kibu Vicuna, Ishfaq was frustrated with his team not being able to score a single goal although he refused to blame his players. “On the touchline, it’s always frustrating when you see your team playing according to the plan and then creating those opportunities and not scoring. All we can do is keep encouraging the players and hope that they score. We will not blame the players, it was just not our day,” the 37-year-old said.

Assistant coach Ishfaq went on to praise the Hero of the Match for the game, Sahal Abdul Samad. “Sahal is a fantastic player for us. He has brought in a defensive aspect to his game by tracking back and helping the defence. We are very pleased with him,” he said.

Watch Ishfaq Ahmed's Post-Match Press conference here:

Meanwhile, Jamshedpur head coach Owen Coyle opined that a draw was a fair result for his team. “A draw was a fair result. When you analyze the match, in the first 30 minutes we were very comfortable. In the 15 minutes prior to halftime, I think Kerala did very well. They had a couple of opportunities and hit the woodwork. The second half was pretty even. Both teams had opportunities,” he said after the match.

Coyle’s main attacking threat Nerijus Valskis has only scored two goals in their last five matches, but his head coach backed the Lithuanian. “Nerijus has played almost every minute this season. He had a shot on target from 25 yards and made the goalkeeper make a great save. It’s not possible to score in every match, even if you are a top striker. He still brings a lot to the team,” the Jamshedpur head coach said.

Watch Owen Coyle's Post-Match Press conference here: