Following three successive losses in the 2015 Hero Indian Super League, NorthEast United FC returned to winning ways in their last match when they beat Chennaiyin FC 2-0. On Friday, they will play defending champions Atlético de Kolkata at Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium and the team’s assistant coach Santosh Kashyap, speaking to the media on Thursday, said keeping the momentum going was paramount for them.

“We got a big win in our last match against Chennai. It was a good win for us. We want to keep the momentum with us. All the players are available for the next game. Every team is fighting for a place in the top four, the gaps between teams are also very small. Any team winning two matches in succession will move up to the top four. It'll be a tough game for us and also for Kolkata. Their momentum is down after the match [after defeat against FC Pune City] and we're hopeful for a win,” Kashyap told reporters ahead of the game.

Despite the win against Chennai, NorthEast missed several scoring opportunities in that game and when asked whether the conversion rate was an issue for the team, Kashyap replied, “All the teams are struggling with it. Also the fact that the defending has been very good and very compact. So it's tough for the strikers to get the goals. All teams are struggling with it and that's why we lost the first three matches. Hopefully, our players will adjust well as time passes, and combine well and hopefully we'll see more goals.”

Kashyap also thanked fans for sticking by the team through thick and thin. “Some teams take time to settle down and we believe we have. It was a great result for us. The fans have shown trust in the team and came to the games in large numbers despite our losses and I request then to keep the same trust and come and enjoy the games. And I believe they will. Football josh ka game hai naa, josh nahi hoga to mazaa kaise ayega,” he said.