Mohammedan Sporting Club interim head coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo commended his players' second-half fight back as they shared points with Punjab FC in their final league match in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Monday.

Ezequiel Vidal and Luka Majcen’s goals in each half provided Punjab FC with a 2-0 lead. The visitors showcased fluid attacking play throughout the game, but a lack of precision in the final third ultimately cost them points against the Black and White Brigade.

The hosts delivered a spirited performance on their home turf, overcoming a two-goal deficit to salvage a point, thanks to the impact of super subs Marc Schmerböck and Robi Hansda. Coming off the bench, both forwards netted their maiden ISL goals, helping Mohammedan SC secure a point in their final home game of the 2024-25 season.

Wadoo expressed his delight with his team’s performance, particularly in the second half, as the hosts mounted a comeback to record their seventh draw in their debut ISL season.

“Today, I am so proud of my players and the way they’ve fought in the second half. We were 0-2 down, (but in the second half), we created more chances and equalized 2-2,” Wadoo said in the post-match press conference.

Wadoo made a couple of changes in the second half, bringing in Marc Schmerböck, Robi Hansda, and Bikash Singh to replace Makan Chothe, Manvir Singh, and Amarjit Singh Kiyam. The Mohammedan SC head coach stated that the introduction of Hansda and Singh shifted the momentum, paving the way for their comeback.

Speaking about his substitutions and their impact on the final result, Wadoo shared, “I think we made two changes in the second half when Robi (Hansda) and Bikash (Singh) came, and they changed the intensity of the game, and they really made a difference.”

“Even Bikash was very effective from the wings. So that put pressure on Punjab's defence, and we created chances, and we scored,” he continued.

Wadoo heaped praise on Schmerböck’s performance, as the Austrian forward netted his first ISL goal against the Shers. The head coach remained optimistic about Schmerböck’s potential and expressed confidence that he could deliver a strong performance in the upcoming Super Cup.

“I think he's (Schmerböck) a good player, and sometimes it takes time for new foreign players to adapt to the situation, adapt to the country, adapt to football, and adapt to Indian football,” he said.

“So, Mark (Schmerböck) is in that phase right now, and slowly, we are giving him the game time, and (he’s) improving. Today, he scored a goal, and he's definitely going to perform very well in the Super Cup,” Wadoo concluded.

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Mohammedan SC2024-2025Punjab FC Mehrajuddin Wadoo