David James hailed his side which went down fighting to a spirited Mumbai City FC by a solitary goal at the DY Patil Sports Stadium tonight. The goal was scored by Nicolas Anelka who curled in a superb free kick from just outside the Kerala Blasters FC box.

Claiming that he was proud of the effort that his squad had put in throughout the 90 minutes of the encounter, the Englishman said at the post-match press conference, “It was a scrappy game, a game decided by one brilliant free kick. We knew that Anelka would be the main threat and we had planned to counter that, but when he puts the ball in the back of the net from a free kick like that, there is hardly anything you can do.

“We were comfortable two minutes before half-time but then we gave away the free kick on the edge of the box. It was frustrating to go into the break a goal down. The boys worked their socks off and put in a real shift out there. I am proud of them.”

The former England goalkeeper also revealed that an injury sustained in a training session leading up to the game had forced him to sit out. “I picked up a knock and decided not to take a chance. I think I took the right decision to pull out,” he claimed.

The Kerala Blasters head coach and marquee player added that watching the game from the sidelines was a frustrating experience. “It is strangely frustrating. There are times when you want to run onto the pitch and help your team and play for your team,” he admitted. “But managing from the sidelines gives you a clear perspective. You judge situations better and your decisions are not clouded. I think I was happy with the substitutions I made today, but then, when you have played previously, it tends to get a bit frustrating when things are not going your way.”  

James was also quick to acknowledge the support of the Kerala fans who had hauled up in vast numbers for the game: “There were times when I was confused about where we were playing (grinning). There were so many yellow shirts out there that it felt like a home game. I would like to profusely thank all the fans who made the trip. They made themselves heard today.”

The former Manchester City goalkeeper is still bullish about his team’s chances of finishing in the top half of the table and pointed out his side’s next games as the reason for his optimism: “We have not played a single home game yet. We are so impatient to travel to Kochi and play in front of our fans. I am sure that their support and encouragement shall give us an added edge and hopefully, we can string together some good results which in turn shall push us up the table.”

James also reiterated his stance on momentum and form not being a defining factor for teams in the tournament: “As I had spoken before the game, momentum and form counts for nothing. We did not take Mumbai for granted at all. Mumbai came into this on the back of some heavy defeats. Yet, they took their chance from a free kick, their only chance in the half, and got themselves all the three points.

“We fought hard and did not give anything away. I told my boys that they had done very well because we had conceded only from one set-play. I admit that we were a bit stretched towards the end and could have shipped a couple more, but if you look at the scoreline, I thought that we had a good game.”