Chennaiyin FC head coach Thomas Brdaric was happy to be back on the winning track after his side posted a 1-0 victory over East Bengal FC away from home in matchweek 5 of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium, in Kolkata, on Friday.

Although a bit unsatisfied with the sending off of Vafa Hakhamaneshi - who misses the upcoming match for Chennaiyin FC after receiving a red card - Brdaric expressed delight over his side's first clean sheet of the season and believes the win will be a crucial element for the upcoming games.

The German addressed the media as he attended the official post-match press conference alongside goalkeeper Debjit Majumder. 

Here are the excerpts from Brdaric's press conference:

Do you think the team is back on the winning track with tonight’s win?

Yes, we are back on track with that hard fought performance, and I am happy for my players and the fans to get the three points, which will help us in the upcoming matches. I am very satisfied with the performance.

Your team got full points back home from Kolkata, but at the cost of losing a player due to suspension. How would you reflect on that?

These kinds of results happen. We concentrated on the game for 90 minutes and used the momentum to kill the opponent with the goal. It was a nice goal, and Aakash Sangwan found our defender Vafa Hakhamaneshi, who finished well but unfortunately will miss the next match.

It was the first clean-sheet of the season for the team. How does it feel?

It looks good since in the last few matches we conceded two early goals, which resulted in deciding the outcome of the match. But tonight we had a little bit of luck with the sort of performance we put up after going ahead in the second half. The result tonight helps boost our confidence and shows the character we have and the mentality the team possesses. We are looking forward to the rest of the season.

Here are the excerpts from Debjit Majumder's press conference:

Do you think you could have won the match by a bigger margin?

It’s difficult to answer this question. We created many chances. But our goal was a very good one. We had a plan to score like this in training. In football, some matches produce many goals, while others produce few.

Did you feel the absence of Karikari in this match?

Injury is part and parcel of football. You have to accept it. Let him become fit sooner. He is an important player for the team. We want him back as early as possible.

Do you think the missed chance by Cleiton Silva put East Bengal FC out of the match completely?

Don’t think so. VP Suhair also got a chance with Cleiton’s (pass). A missed chance is also part of the game. Despite missing chances, they played well at the end of the match. Our defense was organized. Everyone has given 200 percent on the pitch. After the red card (to Vafa), we fought together. That’s why we earned three points here.

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Chennaiyin FC2022-2023 Debjit MajumderMatch 22,East Bengal FC vs Chennaiyin FC