Chennaiyin FC head coach Owen Coyle voiced his frustration as his side suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat against Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

A first-half strike from Rahul Bheke ended up being the decider as the hosts secured all three points to make it to the playoffs, while the visitors are out of the top-six race following this loss.

Moreover, this is the fifth consecutive defeat for the Marina Machans against the Blues in Bengaluru.

Chennaiyin FC generated numerous clear-cut chances throughout the game, with Connor Shields being the creative force. Despite attempting nine shots, Wilmar Jordan Gil and co. managed to get only one shot on target, as their lack of precision in the final third not only cost them three points but also dashed their playoff dreams.

Coyle acknowledged the challenges posed by the Blues but couldn’t believe his players ended up on the losing side, considering the opportunities they have had in the game. From Gil’s headed strike at the stroke of halftime to Chukwu's 83rd-minute miss from a handshaking distance inside the box, chances fell to Chennaiyin FC’s way, but they failed to capitalize on those.

“It’s a tight result. We certainly never deserved to lose that game with the best chances in the match. Wilmar Jordan Gil's got a great head in the first half. Daniel Chima Chukwu's got a great chance out with the other stuff that we had,” Coyle said.

Bengaluru FC broke the deadlock from a picture-perfect free-kick movement where Bheke’s unmarked run behind the Chennaiyin FC defenders found Alberto Noguera’s floated cross, and the experienced defender made no mistake to net his third goal of the ongoing season.

Coyle commended the Blues’ smart move from the set-piece situation and was in full praise of the qualities that Bheke and Noguera possess.

“It's a great finish from Rahul Bheke. But it might have been a block in the buildup; that being said, you can't argue with the quality of the ball from Noguera, who's an outstanding player. And Rahul Bheke has been a top player in the league, and he scored a wonderful goal,” Coyle opined.

Coyle highlighted Chennaiyin FC’s inconsistent manner over the games in controlling the tempo of the match, which prevented his team from qualifying for the ISL playoffs. The Scottish head coach lauded his players’ fighting spirit and stood by their side given their continuous efforts against the Blues but believed that losing three points in Bengaluru isn’t the sole reason behind missing the top-six finish this season.

“We had the best chances of the game. We showed a lot of effort, a lot of energy, a lot of spirit. But it's not tonight that it's cost us to miss out on the playoffs. It's been our inconsistency over the season. Even sometimes inconsistency during games after plenty of really good 60 minutes or even two or five minutes at the end or whatever,” he said.

“And that's the bit in the backside, particularly tonight, to miss out. But we did enough on another night, which was the one-night game for sure with the chances we had. It's Bengaluru FC’s night; they get the break, and it is what it is,” Coyle signed off.