Naihati (West Bengal), Mar 3 (Football News) Churchill Brothers would look to bounce back from their first round defeat when they take on Punjab FC in an I-League match here on Friday.
Churchill had lost to Gokulam Kerala 0-1 in their opening match played before the I-League was disrupted for two months due to multiple COVID-19 cases in the bio-bubble and the Goan side would fancy their chances against Punjab.
Churchill assistant coach Mathias Costa wants to forget the first match and focus on the game at hand.
"Of course, we played a good first match. However, we didn't get our result due to lack of finishing. So, we want to create more chances and score goals," he said.
"The boys are raring to go after the restart. It is always important to get something out of the game. We want to forget the last match and focus on the next to get all three points." On the strength of their opponents, Costa said, "They have many experienced players and made very good signings. Of course, it will be a tough match. If we can convert our chances, we can get all three points." Punjab coach Ashley Westwood is also upbeat about the prospects of his side.
"We went for a four weeks break and assembled as early as possible. Before coming here, we had a 2-week preparation period and luckily, all the players are fit to play. We are looking forward to the important match against Churchill Brothers who are one of the contenders to win the title," Westwood said.
In the other matches on Friday, newly-promoted Kenkre FC will make their much awaited I-League debut by taking on Real Kashmir at Kalyani Stadium while Sudeva Delhi FC face Indian Arrows here.
Kenkre head coach Akhil Kothari is proud to lead the club in their first venture on the big stage.
"This has been a huge dream for all of us at Kenkre FC. The excitement of performing well motivates the entire club. We are ready for tomorrow's game," he said.
The Mumbai club had less than a month to prepare for the I-League in December last, but the break in competition due to COVID-19 cases has worked in their favour.
"After the outbreak in January, we regrouped in Mumbai as cases were on the decline there. The break has been advantageous for us. We had a camp to focus on team-building and prepare mentally for the bio-bubble environment. I'm sure time will show for our hard work in Mumbai," said Kothari.
Real Kashmir had got their campaign underway with a 3-2 win over Aizawl in the first match before the disruption hit I-League.
Head coach David Robertson hopes to build on that after returning from the break.
"We're all excited to be back. We continued to train in Kashmir. Everybody is ready to go again."
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News Source : PTI
