ATK Mohun Bagan scored thrice in the second half to secure a 4-1 victory over Odisha FC in Match 84 of Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2020-21 at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim on Saturday. Braces from Roy Krishna and Manvir Singh ensured that the Mariners got the three points against a club that are currently sitting at the bottom of the league table.

At the post-match press conference, ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Antonio Lopez Habas heaped praise on Hero-of-the-Match Manvir and expects the forward to be more consistent with his performances from now on. “Manvir is an important player for us. He was fantastic against Odisha FC. We have a lot of confidence in him. He has to be more consistent in the matches. This is the challenge for Manvir now,” he said.

ATK Mohun Bagan took the lead after a beautiful goal scored by Manvir but were pegged back by Cole Alexander’s strike just before the half-time break. Sharing his thoughts on the Mariners’ performance, Habas said, “We played good football for 25-30 minutes in the first half and after that we fell asleep and the opponents managed to draw [level]. In the second half, we were the better side and managed to score.”

This win takes them three points short of leaders Mumbai City FC’s 33 points. However, the Spanish head coach’s first objective is to secure a place in the top four before aiming to finish as the league leaders. “Our idea is to qualify for the top four. After that, we can think about the possibility of topping the league standings,” said Habas.

Watch Antonio Lopez Habas's Post-Match Press conference here:

Meanwhile, Odisha FC interim head coach Gerald Peyton believes that his team had a chance of getting something from the game before conceding the penalty but refused the suggestion that his team gave up after that goal. “The penalty was the turning point of the game. At 2-1, I felt that we were still in it. I made a change down the left side to try and go forward and play with the ball… I don't think we gave up, but I think that we didn't play with the same tempo and speed as we did before conceding the penalty,” he said.

Peyton also lauded young midfielder Paul Ramfangzauva who was one of the better players for Odisha before getting substituted through injury. “I think Paul is going to be a very special player for India. He is a very special player for me. He has good vision on the ball. He looks to turn the game and he looks to play through the gates. He looks to go at people and attack. His shot that hit the post in the first half was a great one,” he said.

Watch Gerald Peyton's Post-Match Press conference here: