Head coach Ricki Herbert cut a forlorn figure at the post match press conference after FC Pune City scored a late winner to condemn NorthEast United FC to a 1-0 defeat in Pune today.The Kiwi gaffer gave credit to the victors and admitted that his team turned up second best today. “We were not good on the day, and that’s what matters,” he said.Herbert, who coached New Zealand at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, gave keeper Rehenesh TP yet another start, and his decision was vindicated as the young Kerala shotstopper pulled off a number of reflexive saves. “The keeper kept us in the game. It would have been a different story without him,” Herbert conceded.The former international defender who won 61 caps for his country, refused to dwell on the contribution of Pune’s two second-half substitutes, Dudu Omagbemi and John Goossens, to the result. Instead, he countered, “We are only concerned about our performances, not about the opponents.” He did have positives to take from the game though, with Do Dong-Hyun being amongst the players he mentioned for the contribution on the pitch.NorthEast United are still in the top half of the table, and travel to Chennai for their fourth away game on the trot. Herbert will no doubt be looking to bounce back with the same strategies that have taken the team this far.
