We lacked finishing earlier, says Derrick Pereira after convincing win

The Gaurs completed the league double over the Marina Machans with tonight's victory.

FC Goa locked horns with Chennaiyin FC in their encounter at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on Wednesday. The match ended in a huge result for FC Goa, as they thrashed their opponents 5-0. This win won’t change their position in the table, but will surely act as a huge boost for Derrick Pereira and his men in the upcoming fixtures.

Here’s what FC Goa head coach Derrick Pereira had to say in the post-match press conference.

Imagined such a result?

It was a result unimaginable for every viewer. As it usually happens, no coach takes their opponents lightly in the Indian Super League. The same methodology worked for Derrick Pereira as well.

When asked whether he imagined at the start of the game that it would end in such a huge result, the coach opined, “Honestly no. I expected a tough match. We did well. We controlled the game well.

"The timing of the goals was crucial and we kept our momentum going. Our boys worked very hard to get this result. But, may be Chennaiyin’s previous match has affected their performance.”

Could FC Goa have scored more?

The Gaurs took a 4-0 lead at the end of the first half. Three of those goals came from Makan Winkle Chothe and Jorge Ortiz (two). Meanwhile, the fourth came in the form of an own-goal from Narayan Das.

When asked whether FC Goa could have scored more goals, the tactician quipped, “When we went into the break, we decided to control the game, to not allow Chennaiyin to settle down. So, we tried to keep possession and create more opportunities. Yes, we could have scored more. That was our plan for the second half.”

Areas to improve

FC Goa would have been in a better position in the table if they could have converted more chances in their previous encounters. However, the team looked clinical upfront and scored four goals on their own. Yes, they could have scored a few more. But, their conversion had to improve, which certainly has – at least as per the result.

When quizzed about the areas the team needs to improve on, Pereira stated, “What we lacked earlier was the finishing. Whatever chances we got, we scored.

"Yes, we will be facing tougher teams - the top teams in the remaining matches. So, we have to be clinical upfront. At the same time, we need to keep the balance as we did," the coach concluded.

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