FC Goa edged Kerala Blasters FC 2 – 1 in Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Sunday. Ferran Corrominas and Edu Bedia scored for the Gaurs, while CK Vineeth had equalised for last year’s finalists. Goa are currently fourth on the table, but with a game in hand. Addressing the media at the post-match press conference was Goa’s head coach Sergio Lobera, and he lauded his side as a whole for the win.

“I think for a game like today’s, you can’t pick out one particular zone for the win,” the Spaniard said. “You need to be very good as a team across all aspects. There were moments where we tactically read the game well. It was a very complicated game, and in particular moments in the game it was a balanced tie. But I think we read the game well from a tactical point of view and got three very important points.”

The 41-year-old highlighted the importance of set-pieces in tight matches. “In games like these where things are particularly tight, set pieces are very important and we have been practising our set pieces as well,” Lobera revealed. “Set pieces can make all the difference in the world. And today you can see, it had an impact on the game.”

Lobera also commented on his side’s style of play. “We are loyal to our style of play,” he stated. “We know that the style of play we have adopted carries risks. But I’m very proud of my players and the personality they have shown to carry out that style of play.”

He further explained, “We tried to play out from the back, and sometimes you are bound to see errors. But, normally we have much more of a success rate than the amount of errors that we commit. And today, playing from the back meant that the opposition got tired out in attack. This is what you noticed in the second half, and you could see that they were tired.”