Kerala Blasters FC forward Iain Hume was a relived man after his side edged out Atlético de Kolkata by a 2-1 margin in a bitterly contested encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Friday night. The former Canadian international helped himself to a goal as early as the fourth minute, and kept the Kolkata defence on their toes for the entire game with his darting runs and slick moves. Hume’s goal was adjudged Swift Moment of the Match and he later acknowledged that the win was achieved despite his side not being at their best. “I think we played better at their place (Kolkata) and got a point, so to win ugly - we didn’t play as well as we could have - and get three points against a team that strong, it’s says a lot about us. How we work for each other is as good as anyone else in the league,” Hume told indiansuperleague.com in an exclusive conversation after the match.Kerala have slowly but surely evolved in the competition, and the unbeaten run of games at their home ground seems to have helped them in that regard. But Hume is not looking at the team’s form, instead, he is focusing on the next match. “We’re just looking at the next game; we’re going good at the moment, and we’re getting points on the board when it matters. We’re looking at Goa next, if we can get a good result there, then we’ve got three home games to finish the season. When you look at the stadium right now, it’s an unbelievable atmosphere. It’s going to be a hard place for any other team who come here to play,” the former Leicester City player said.Acknowledging the 57,000 plus fans who showed up to witness today’s game, Hume said, “It’s definitely one of the best (crowds). It’s a great experience to play in front of fans here who don’t just love our team, they love football, and it’s an exciting time for Kerala.”Hume was present everywhere on the field for the hosts, his work rate second to none. But he explained that should be the mantra for the entire team. “I think everybody demands that from everybody else; if you put in 100% and still have a bad day, then at least you know and everyone knows you put in everything. So that’s the very least you’ll get from me, and everyone knows that, and I expect that from everyone else.”Hume scored his third goal after six games, his last goal coming against the same opponents in the reverse fixture. He will look to add more to his tally as Kerala travel to Goa on November 26 and hope that his band of yellow shirts will maintain their winning momentum.
