FC Goa secured a 2-2 draw against Chennaiyin FC in Match 92 of Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2020-21 at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim on Saturday. The Marina Machans were pegged back twice by the Gaurs as both teams eventually shared the points. The result severely dented Chennaiyin’s semis hopes, while the Gaurs moved up to third on the points table.

At the post-match presentation, Marina Machans head coach Csaba Laszlo however commended the spirit of his players following their 1-0 loss against Jamshedpur FC in the game before. “I am proud of my team because after the loss against Jamshedpur we came back strong. No one expected that we would play like that. This shows that we are a football team who are together and we will fight till the end,” he said.

Laszlo was content with his team’s performance but was unhappy with the contribution of his substitutes. “We deserved to win. I was very satisfied with the game. But I am angry because the substitutes missed a little bit of aggression in the midfield. It was an easy goal [referring to the Gaurs’ second goal in injury time] to concede because of a lack of communication,” said the Chennaiyin head coach.

Giving his opinion on the match, Laszlo said, “We were on the same level as FC Goa. Tactically, the boys did a good job because we put a lot of pressure. Because of this, we created many chances as well. We could have closed the game in the first half. If we were 3-0 up it would have been a different game.”

Watch Csaba Laszlo's Post-Match Press conference here:

Meanwhile, FC Goa head coach Juan Ferrando was happy with the contribution of Ishan Pandita, who scored yet another late goal to earn a point for his team. “I am happy for Ishan because when we need a plan B, he goes in and helps the team. He knows that the team believes in him,” Ferrando said.

The Gaurs head coach also expressed his support for goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh, who was partially responsible for Chennaiyin’s second goal of the game. “He is a young player. At this moment, it is necessary to support him. He is the future of goalkeeping in India. He is a very good player who needs to improve. Everyone makes mistakes but the coaching staff and the club will continue to support him,” said the Spaniard.

With FC Goa set to take on Odisha FC, Bengaluru FC and Hyderabad FC in their final push for a top four spot, Ferrando urged his players to keep their emotions in check and play good football. “This week is very difficult for us. All the teams will be fighting for the three points and to make it to the semi-finals. But the most important thing is to control the emotions and play good football,” he said.

Watch Juan Ferrando's Post-Match Press conference here: