FC Pune City and Kerala Blasters FC shared the spoils after a 1 – 1 draw at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Thursday in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18. After taking the lead through Marcelinho, they conceded a second-half goal in the form of Mark Sifneos. The Stallions, however, go top of the table with the sole point, staying ahead based on goal difference.

Speaking to the media during the post-match presser was Pune’s assistant coach Vladica Grujic. When asked about his opinion on the outcome of the match, the Serbian stated, “When you look at the first half, you can kill the game with three goals, but this is football. Many big teams don’t score the goal. This is not normal but it happens. The second half was not to see but we won one point and we’re satisfied.”

He also praised his players for a good effort despite tiring down in the second period. “They (the players) looked tired but sometimes they want to bring 90 minutes,” he explained. “We spoke at the half-time to continue in the same way. They wanted to win 1-0 because we didn’t play well in the second half. This is a very difficult place to play. In Pune, it’s not so hot. I have to congratulate my team and the opponent because they showed big spirit in the second half. I think their coaching change brought this.”

Before wrapping up, he also highlighted the importance of teamwork in their game. “(Dimitar) Berbatov, Wes Brown or any big player, you cannot put one man to play against anyone. We have to have teamwork. We have to stay compact and do this well,” he concluded.