Mario Rivera says SC East Bengal deserved win, calls draw "unfair"

Darren Sidoel and Lalrinliana Hnamte scored for the Red and Gold.

For now, Mario Rivera and his men have pulled themselves back in the race to avoid the tablespoon. A win would have placed them in a much more secure position and they deserved it as well. Chennaiyin FC did well to quickly hit SC East Bengal whilst they were already down (Hira Mondal OG 2’, Ninthoi 14’). But, the Red and Gold bounced back with a spirited second half to walk home with at least one point.

The second half saw SC East Bengal continuing with their constant bouts of attack, which ultimately bore fruit. Darren Sidoel’s excellent free-kick got the ball rolling, after which, a late goal from Lalrinliana Hnamte got the Kolkata side’s dugout cheering in jubilation.

Here's what head coach Mario Rivera had to say about their result:

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Second half performance

SC East Bengal were the better team almost throughout the match. A spirited endeavour from their midfielders secured a point, but the head coach didn’t think the result was exactly fair, “Very unfair. We deserved to win, very clearly,” Rivera opined.

“Yes, we had a very good second half. SC East Bengal were the team who were playing. We had a high pace to our game and we created a lot of chances with the intention of winning. It was an amazing second half,” the coach applauded his team’s efforts.

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Impressive midfield performance

It was the two players in the middle of the park, in Darren Sidoel and Lalrinliana Hnamte, who scored and secured a draw. Mario Rivera was asked if the midfield is one of the stronger parts of his team. “Maybe. I am happy with the whole team, and I am glad Hnamte scored. He missed a clear chance in the derby and was disheartened. He is a very nice person and someone who goes on to improve his game.”

"I’m happy for Darren too, as he proved his naysayers wrong. I have seen his free-kick action when he was in Ajax and I am glad for him,” said an ecstatic Mario Rivera.

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Underwhelming performance from Hira Mondal

Hira Mondal has been the most consistent player in an otherwise very inconsistent SCEB squad. However, tonight was a very uncharacteristic performance from the defender.

“He is a young player. He needs to learn some things and is willing to do so. I feel he is a very interesting player for Indian football and has a very good future,” the head coach assured.

Capable of upsetting chances of higher-ranked teams

This rejuvenated Red and Gold side seems like a team that can cause problems for the side's placed above them. “I think this team is capable of winning against everyone.

"The last match against ATKMB we showed that we can win and tonight we clearly deserved to. We will certainly try every match,” Mario Rivera signed off.