Chennaiyin FC came from behind to inflict a 2 – 1 defeat on reigning Hero Indian Super League (ISL) champions ATK at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Thursday. Mailson Alves and Jeje Lalpekhlua struck in the second half, after the visitor’s had fallen behind to Martin Paterson’s opener for the hosts. With the win, the 2015 Hero ISL champions climbed to the summit of the league table.

Speaking to the media during the post-match press conference was Chennaiyin’s head coach John Gregory, who admitted that the scenario at halftime was almost identical to their previous match against NorthEast United FC (which they ended up losing 1-3). “Against NorthEast, on the other night, we were 1 – 0 down at halftime and very similar circumstances occurred tonight as well,” he recalled. “That really served as a reminder to us because when we came out and started the second half against NorthEast, we were asleep. Then, they scored a second goal which effectively won them the game. But the important aspect tonight was that we weren’t going to let that happen again.”

He further continued, “We came out in the second half very focused. I did make an important issue of the fact that we still had 45 minutes of the game left. I felt that if we could continue to play the same way the that we did in the first 45 minutes, we’d have enough to win the game. So, we kept our composure and our togetherness. We have a huge family togetherness as a group of players, and we just kept together, kept our composure and played our way back into the game.”

The Englishman also heaped praise on the players, lauding them for their performance on the night. “This group of players have performed above any expectations,” the 63-year-old stated. “I cannot offer one word of criticism to the whole squad. The way that they go about their jobs, the way that they work, they just give everything in every game. And for me, that is the most important ingredient - the attitude. A team that has a great attitude will always be a team that has great talent. We have got both. We have got talent on our team and a huge attitude to work hard.”

“As a coach, you have to support your players,” he added. “You try and give your best, you try and help them as much as you can. I can easily look at all my players and find a fault in them, but I tend to work and make a point of using their strengths.”

He also acknowledged the fact that ATK was a tough opponent and winning in Kolkata was also a big task, but his team trumped the odds. “I knew it was a big task,” he admitted. “This season, we have never come back from being a goal down and won, so that in itself, was a first for us. But, I would not put anything past these guys. We had a disappointing result against NorthEast the other night and we bounced back today. This is not an easy place to come to. This is a huge stadium with a huge tradition. We were playing against the defending champions. But we continued to work hard and eventually, the two goals came.”

Before leaving, Gregory singled out Jeje who netted the winner, praising the ‘Mizo Sniper’ for his contributions throughout. “Jeje is a goal scorer and he’ll score goals, provided you give him the opportunity. So, we try and work on his strengths, on the good bits that he has in his game. The guy is a really talented footballer and he is a goal scorer. He works on his game, he reaps the rewards and we try and play him to his strengths as much as we can,” he concluded.