Kerala Blasters FC head coach Mikael Stahre was a happy man as his team secured their first victory of the 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) season against East Bengal FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Sunday.

After a tense and closely contested first half, both teams went into the break level. The visitors began the second half on the front foot and deservedly broke the deadlock, with substitute Vishnu PV finishing from a well-placed Dimitrios Diamantakos pass.

However, Stahre's men responded immediately, with Noah Sadaoui striking the equaliser by driving a powerful shot through the legs of Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, before substitute Kwame Peprah delivered a moment of brilliance in the 88th minute to secure all three points for the Blasters.

Stahre remarked on Kerala Blasters FC’s improved composure and confidence with the ball, which was a noticeable difference from their last game against Punjab FC.

“It was quite obvious (that we would coordinate better than the last game). Sometimes it's quite easy to analyze the games, and of course, we kept the ball better today. (And) I think we can play better in the future,” Stahre stated in the post-match press conference.

That’s a wrap at Kaloor! 3⃣ points secured with a brilliant late winner from Peprah! #KBFCEBFC #KBFC #KeralaBlasters pic.twitter.com/CjtnVvMqqJ

— Kerala Blasters FC (@KeralaBlasters) September 22, 2024

This marked the 12th goal scored after the 85th minute already this season. Stahre expressed that every player involved in the match effectively fulfilled their role, contributing to their victory.

“The reason we are here as a winning team at this moment is not just because of a strong starting line-up, but also because of a really good finishing line-up,” he said.

“You see that every single week now, and every single day actually, or a match in this ISL, that lots of goals are being scored in the dying minutes. Everyone in football talks about the line-up, but also about who is in the line-up in the closing minutes of the game,” Stahre opined.

The match unfolded in four phases, with the home side dominating both the opening quarter and the final thirty minutes.

“Obviously, today we were the stronger team over the 90 minutes. We played against a good opponent; it was a pretty even game. But I think in the last 30 minutes, we were way better, and all this contributed to the win."

"It’s really important that as we are progressing (in the league) - that down the road goals (should be) to take points. It's hard to lose, lose, lose, and then suddenly lose confidence. Now that we have won this game, it was really, really important for the table, for the atmosphere, for the fans, for the team, for all of us," he remarked.

Midfielder Vibin Mohanan was included in the starting XI tonight after coming off the bench against Punjab FC. His presence brought much-needed composure to the midfield, allowing players like Alexandre Coeff and Danish Farooq to operate with greater freedom upfront.

Late in the game, Mohanan was taken off due to injury, and the head coach provided an update on his condition.

“It was just cramping. He was struggling with another injury before, so from what I know right now, he was cramping. You know, 75 minutes of intensity, playing in the starting line-up after a long time, and running a lot in these kinds of conditions. So, it was quite normal,” he commented.