Kolkata, Mar 23 (Cricket News) A tough task awaits the young guns of Indian Arrows as they run into an in-form Sreenidi Deccan FC in the I-League match, even as Churchill Brothers hope for change in fortunes against Aizawl FC here on Thursday.
In another match, after suffering back-to-back defeats, Sudeva Delhi FC will be looking to get back on track against unbeaten Neroca FC. The latter are coming to the match after settling for draws in the last two matches.
After picking up four points in their first two games, Indian Arrows have had a tough time with two losses in the last three matches which has seen them drop to 10th in the table.
Shanmugam Venkatesh's men were beaten 2-0 by Aizawl in their last outing, marking their third straight match, where they failed to score.
Venkatesh was, however, quick to take the positives from the game.
"The first 45 minutes were the best we have played in the last four games. I can see the players' progression. I'm also happy with their positioning on the pitch." Newcomers Sreenidi are starting to find their feet in the I-League with two wins on the bounce. They also picked up an elusive first clean sheet of the season in the 1-0 victory over Sudeva Delhi on Sunday.
Despite the win, coach Fernando Santiago Varela wasn't fully satisfied.
"We have the capacity to control the game better. I'm not a coach who just looks at the results. I want the players to get better and improve their game," he said.
Varela affirmed that his side cannot afford to be complacent against Indian Arrows.
"We await a tough match against coach Venkatesh's side. I don't take them lightly. Arrows are improving every year. They show a lot of attacking intent so we have to take care of that." Sudeva Delhi FC head coach, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, is looking to keep the players motivated ahead of the crucial match.
Wadoo said that from now on his team will need to approach each game as a final.
"Obviously, Neroca FC are a very good team. They are unbeaten so far. Their performance shows where they stand currently. However, we have to execute our plans and focus on developing other players," the coach said.
On the other hand, Neroca FC head coach Khogen Singh wants to keep the momentum in the upcoming matches.
"In the last two matches, we had to settle for draws against very good teams. We are playing well but conceding goals in the closing minutes. We have to make sure that we finish the game very well," Singh mentioned.
After a morale-boosting win against league leaders Mohammedan SC, Churchill Brothers were hoping to revive their campaign after a poor start but that fell flat as they went down to Rajasthan United FC in the previous game, increasing the pressure on assistant coach Mateus Costa and the players.
"We have been keeping the ball well and not playing too badly but the results are just not coming for us and at the end of the day, it is those that count," said Costa.
"It is time for the players to pull up their socks and make it count if we are to have any chance of making it to the championship stage." Aizawl FC have won two in two matches after failing to win their first four and this represents a good opportunity for them to make it three wins in a row.
After chopping and changing personnel in their first few games, Aizawl FC seem to have settled on a stable starting XI and head coach Yan Law believes that has also been a contributing factor to their recent form.
"When there is stability, each player knows their roles and the movements of those around them. It also helps them familiarize themselves to training ground drills and specific patterns of play," Law said.
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News Source : PTI
