East Bengal FC head coach Carles Cuadrat emphasised the importance of securing all three points after his side defeated Hyderabad FC by a 1-0 scoreline in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday.

A brilliant-headed flick by Brazilian forward Cleiton Silva proved to be the decisive factor as the Red and Golds secured a narrow victory against Thangboi Singto’s side. Despite both teams creating numerous chances from the onset, the inability to convert them into goals kept the scoreline unchanged.

This win marked East Bengal FC’s third triumph in the ISL 2023-24 season, propelling them to the eighth spot in the points table. Since claiming victory in the Kalinga Super Cup back in January, Cuadrat’s team has faced challenges in accumulating points, struggling to secure a win leading up to their match against Hyderabad FC. Nonetheless, Cuadrat emphasized the significance of these three points against Hyderabad FC, particularly considering the obstacles posed by injuries and suspensions.

“We came through difficult moments because of injuries, suspensions, and new players. So, we have to create the automatism to make them understand how we want to play, and it takes some time. So, it was very important today to grab the three points,” Cuadrat said in the post-match press conference.

FT| Our first away win of #ISL10! 👏#HFCEBFC #JoyEastBengal #EastBengalFC #LetsFootball pic.twitter.com/iHsa74LEUH

— East Bengal FC (@eastbengal_fc) February 17, 2024

The head coach opined that his team should have sealed the victory earlier by utilising their goal-scoring opportunities. But he seemed satisfied with their performance, as it gave them three crucial points to go up in the points table.

“We should have scored the second goal before,” he stated.

“It means that we're not arriving at the last moments of the game in that risky situation in which the opponent can score. We had very clear chances with Cleiton Silva and with Felicio Brown Forbes, but unfortunately, it was not happening. Maybe they are saving their goals for the next match. We had clearer chances, which is the important thing. So, three very important points for us,” he added.

The 55-year-old shared his delight with East Bengal FC getting their sixth clean sheet of the season. He assumes that having better goal differences will help his team in the penultimate phase of the league as they chase the playoff spot.

“I'm very happy with the clean sheet. It's our sixth clean sheet of the season. We have already played 14 games. So, it means that in almost half of the games, we get a clean sheet. And to be competitive, it is very important to have clean sheets,” Cuadrat commented.

“We have +2 goals in the difference between goals considered and goals scored. We are in numbers..that normally can take you to the playoffs. So we need to just keep working and get focused in the next match against Jamshedpur FC,” he signed off.