Hyderabad FC suffered their fifth defeat of the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2019-20 after going down 1-0 at the G.M.C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium on Sunday. Phil Brown's men started the match well but an early injury to Marko Stankovic disrupted their momentum. Manvir Singh struck the winner for FC Goa in the second-half.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Hyderabad head coach Phil Brown underlined the impact of Stankovic’s injury on the game and said, “I think if you lose a big player, it does have an effect on the team psychologically. In the first 10 minutes we had three clear chances before we lost him. Maybe the confidence suffered for a moment because we didn’t take those chances. But I think containing Goa was difficult from that moment (after Stankovic came off).”

“When we lose 1-0 it hurts. In the last two games we played against the finalists of the last season. Against Bengaluru we managed a draw in the last minute, and over here we were beaten by one goal. We’re bitterly disappointed. And now we’re fighting for survival. We have a game against Odisha next and we have to go there with a positive mindset. We can’t afford to feel sorry for ourselves. There are positives, but you don’t say it to a group of players who have just lost a game. And that’s the most difficult part of this job,” he added.

Brown, however, commended the gradual improvement in his team and opined, “These are a group of players who have gone from 5-0 and 3-1 defeats in the first couple of games and put up some wonderful defensive displays. The chances created today are a testament to the improvement only if those chances went into the back of the net. Bobo, Giles (Barnes) and all the forwards are desperate for goals. They need to put in the hard work and the performances will turn around”

Asish Rai made just his second start this season, but was impressive, making seven clearances from left back. “Asish is finding his feet. I think he has tremendous energy and a great attitude. If he listens to his coaches he can improve. And if he keeps improving, he has a great chance because he has the right attitude. He has to keep listening and learning,” the Englishman said about the young full back.

Read the Match Report here.