Chennaiyin FC head coach Owen Coyle wants to look ahead after his team suffered a 2-0 defeat to Odisha FC in their opening match of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 season at the Kalinga Stadium, in Bhubaneswar, on Saturday.

The Marina Machans displayed fighting spirit and were clearly the better side in the opening half. However, a late first-half goal and a second-half goal from Diego Mauricio secured all three points for the Juggernauts.

Coyle believes his team had plenty of chances but lacked clinical finishing, while Odisha FC capitalized on their opportunities to secure all three points.

“Odisha FC took their chances. I think they had one other chance in the first half. I don't recall another chance of note. We've come here, we've dominated in terms of the chances we had. We missed some absolute, real chances and that's where we need to be clinical,” Coyle said in the official post-match press conference.

“All credit to Odisha FC, they took their chances. I think they only had three (chances) in the game and even the two they had, one of them they threw in and then obviously a pass back and an error from one of our lads.

There's a lot to be pleased about moving forward. We'll take that in and we can come here and perform at that level. To be honest, we've not got the points that our performance deserved, that is for sure. It's Odisha FC's night, good luck to them. After 22 games we'll see where everybody is,” he added.

Chennaiyin FC started the game positively, while Odisha FC grew into the game after the match resumed following a halt due to lightning.

The Scottish head coach believes they conceded both goals too cheaply and now wants to take the positives from this match, especially the lessons learned, and build upon them in the upcoming matches.

“The lesson is very simple. You can't give goals. The first one is a nothing cross, it's been punched down, I think it falls to Puitea, there's no pressure on the ball and he gets a shot away. Not a particularly powerful shot but it finds its way into the corner for some reason. But then 1-0, it was all us, we dominated chance upon chance,” he stated.

“There was no doubt we played really well and then on the stroke of half-time, it was 45th minute or 46th minute, whatever it was, we've given away a soft goal. That being said, we came out of the second-half, it was all Chennaiyin FC in again and there was no doubt it was 1-0, the chances were high, it was only a matter of time until we got an equaliser and then we made a terrible error. Our lads passed it all right to (Diego) Mauricio, 1-1 in the goalkeeper. Mauricio is a top player so what you don't want to do is give him gifts and that's what we've done,” Coyle added.

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