NorthEast United FC’s good run came to an end at home in their 4-1 defeat against Kerala Blasters FC in the 2015 Hero Indian Super League on Sunday evening. After seven points from three matches, they went into the match at the Indira Gandhi Stadium as favourites but were taken aback by a spirited Kerala side. Chris Dagnall scored with just 28 seconds on the clock and there was no holding back the visitors for the rest of the match. At the post-match conference, Highlanders head coach Cesar Farias admitted they were no match for the Blasters.“There are days when you don’t play your best and the other team plays their best. I take the responsibility, I selected the side and made the tactical decisions before the game. We conceded a goal right at the beginning…We did not keep the ball well as we always do and offensively we did not make our chances count. Kerala was the better team out there today, they probably played the best game this season and we played our worst. But it’s football and we have to keep going,” Farias told reporters after the match.Farias also said that due to a tight schedule he was forced to use different combinations and they just didn’t work. “The team paid the price of having played four away games in quick succession and when you add up all the travel and fatigue, the picture becomes clearer. Imagine having to play the same players over and over again. But it has worked for us, refreshing people in the past and we did the same. There is not much to think about this game, nothing went our way, it was a one-way traffic. Kerala were better than us today, but the early goal was a big factor too.”When asked how important the next match against Mumbai City FC on Friday had become following the defeat, the Venezuelan said: The next game requires 100% focus and concentration because we are the home team. Tonight we could not control the game. We have to focus on our strategy and we have to make sure that we do well in the next game.”
