Chennaiyin FC came back from behind in the dying minutes of the game to draw 1-1 against Jamshedpur FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Sunday. The one point ensured the former champions stayed put at third in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 table, with one foot set in the playoffs. An 89th-minute header for super-sub Mohammed Rafi cancelled out Wellington Priori’s stunning first-half volley.

With two more games to go in the league stage for the hosts, their head coach John Gregory was asked in the post-match press conference if he was content with the hard-fought one point against a resilient opponent. “I think, after the second half performance we deserved the three points,” he stated. “It has been an incredible performance and an incredible effort by our team. No one can be as proud of their team in the ISL as I am. Besides, it’s our fourth game in 12 days and we had to travel as well but the performances have been brilliant. We completely dominated the second half. Some of our young boys who are inexperienced, didn’t shy away from the ball and kept passing. Some of the individual performances were great tonight.”

Chennaiyin looked a more menacing outfit in the second period of 45 minutes and when asked what led to the same post the half-time break, the Englishman revealed, “Nothing much. I just asked them to keep going and build chances. Whenever the opposition got the ball to smash it onto the opposite side and counter-attack. And overall, just to follow our philosophy and play in our normal style.”

The 63-year-old was also asked to comment on the two yellow cards which his players were shown in the game, but Gregory did not see much into the decisions. “Seeing it is another thing and being there on the ground is another. So far in the season, we have accepted the decisions that have gone against us. But I think there has been an improvement there than the first half of the season. However, some decisions go against you when you have not done anything whatsoever, but then it’s football!” he concluded.