FC Goa head coach Carlos Pena was extremely delighted to see his team end up on the winning side as they beat Chennaiyin FC 2-0 in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in Chennai, on Friday.

The 39-year-old heaped praise on all his players and felt that they were incredibly courageous to have taken the game to the home side from the very beginning. Goals from Redeem Tlang and Noah Sadaoui made sure FC Goa gained all three points in their second consecutive away game.

Report: Dheeraj stands tall, Sadaoui sparkles as FC Goa beat Chennaiyin FC

Pena also discussed the injury concern of star player and goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh - who put up an incredible performance, but had to be stretchered off - stating that he will be under medical supervision with an injury that isn't very serious at the moment.

The Spaniard believes his side will eventually get a grasp of possession-based football and will come good as the season progresses. Pena addressed the media in the official post-match press conference

Here are the excerpts from Pena’s press conference:

This is your second consecutive win in the Hero Indian Super League 2022-23. What are your thoughts towards the game? How are you feeling after the win?

I am very happy because it was a very tough game and we knew that Chennaiyin FC started the season playing good football. I wanted us to keep the ball throughout the game and stay in control. We created a number of chances to score and found the right spaces for our striker. I am glad to get home with the three points, and this victory is very important for us.

What is the situation with Dheeraj Singh? How is he coping with the injury now?

He had to leave the pitch early due to an unfortunate event causing a clash, it does not seem to be a very serious situation and the medical team will do a few tests with him before declaring anything further.

You scored two goals tonight where one came very early into the game and the other was right towards the end. Were you happy with how your team played?

I am delighted with the performance. However, during some patches of the game we suffered a bit, as towards the end of the first half, we did not judge the press from the opposition (Chennaiyin FC) very well and did concede some chances, but our goalkeeper (Dheeraj Singh) showed the quality that he has got and was amazing on the night.

In the second half, with the substitutes coming off the bench we passed the ball really well, kept more of the ball in the last 20-25 minutes while creating chances to make the gap bigger between the opposition and us.

You had discussed earlier about wanting to keep hold of the ball for a bit longer. So, do you think a little more possession of the ball would have helped you get out of your half easily?

We do missed that bit while playing our style of football and suffered while trying to keep hold of the ball because for me, the best way to defend is when you have the ball at your feet and the opposition does not make it hard by creating chances. However, all the games are different. We came here and were brave enough to leave a mark against the home side. The team faced the game with a lot of courage, and I am very happy we come out victorious.

Related tags:

2022-2023FC Goa Match 12,Chennaiyin FC vs FC GoaCarlos Pena