Hyderabad FC head coach Thangboi Singto expressed concern about his team’s lack of goals following a narrow 1-0 defeat against Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Saturday.

Kerala Blasters FC secured their third straight win, edging past Hyderabad FC with a 1-0 scoreline on their home turf. Milos Drincic’s solitary goal proved to be the difference by the end of the match, with both teams creating numerous goal-scoring opportunities throughout the game. Despite the hosts having the potential to win by a larger margin, Gurmeet Singh's crucial saves kept Hyderabad FC in the contest.

The result leaves Hyderabad FC still in search of their first win of the season, marking their fourth defeat in seven games with only three points registered so far. Singto believed his team's defensive performance was reasonable but emphasised the need for clinical finishing in front of goal.

"Defensively, we are not bad. We have not lost a game with big margins,” Singto stated in the post-match press conference.

“Offensively, I think today we are talking about creating chances. We did create chances today too, like in the previous games. It's just the same thing. It's a repetition of putting the ball in the net, (and being) more clinical. I think the players are trying their best, and that is the good part. But we are still missing the goals,” he added.

Hyderabad FC has scored just four goals in seven games so far. Despite keeping more possession, having better passing accuracy, and registering more shots against Kerala Blasters FC, they struggled to find the back of the net. Singto acknowledged his team's competitive performance but highlighted the need to score goals despite favourable statistics.

“We know that in all the games we played, I think we have competed well,” he said.

“What I can hear from some other people is that we played better than Kerala Blasters FC. But football is not only about stats. If you can't put the ball in the net and score goals (it won’t help). You might have a 70-80 (percentage) plus possession, but what counts are the goals. And today, we couldn't (score the goal). We tried, we have been trying. That's the area of concern. And hopefully, in the next match, we will have the possession, the (better passing) percentage, and the goals too,” he explained.

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Kerala Blasters FCHyderabad FC2023-2024