"Very important to start on a positive note" - Kerala Blasters assistant coach Ishfaq Ahmed reflects on the victory against RoundGlass Punjab FC

Kerala Blasters started their Hero Super Cup campaign on the right note as they defeated I-League Champions RoundGlass Punjab FC 3-1 at the EMS Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode.

The game was even in the initial stages, but the Blasters took the lead towards the stroke of halftime. Saurav Mandal was cynically fouled in the box and striker Dimitrios Diamantoks converted the resulting penalty to make it 1-0.

After scoring their first goal, they began controlling the proceedings and doubled their lead just nine minutes into the second half. This time, full-back Nishu Kumar calmly placed the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

RoundGlass Punjab pulled a goal back to set up an entertaining last quarter of the game. However, Rahul KP added a third goal in stoppage time to seal an impressive victory.

Blasters assistant manager Ishfaq Ahmed, who took charge in place of the suspended Ivan Vukomanovic, revealed that the game was challenging and the team had to rely on the substitutions to see out RoundGlass Punjab’s pressure.

Speaking to the media after the victory, he said:

"It is always a little bit difficult to start after the break, but the most important thing is the three points and to start on a positive note. They’re I-League champions, they are a good team and we knew that we will be under pressure at some point."

"That is why we made changes in the end, bringing in Marko Leskovic and Jeakson Singh and after that, we were quite settled in defense."

Following Bengaluru FC’s 1-1 draw against Sreenidi Deccan FC, Kerala Blasters are now at the top of Group A with two games left. Quizzed on the importance of starting on a high note, Ahmed said:

"Yes, we used to have the Federation Cup in the same format. So it is very important to start on a positive note, especially with three points because there are only two more matches."

"The next match becomes even more important since there are other teams as well. Bengaluru FC are a strong team and Sreenidi played quite well and so did RoundGlass Punjab FC."

"It was important to get those three points after a long break. The credit goes to the players, they worked really hard and it was humid outside. They gave everything today and deserved a win."

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“It is very hard for the defenders to contain him” – Kerala Blasters assistant coach Ishfaq Ahmed on Rahul KP

Ahmed’s substitutions certainly paid dividends for Kerala Blasters. While the likes of Jeakson Singh and Marko Leskovic added stability at the back, Rahul KP brought much-needed energy to the forward areas.

He eventually capped off an excellent performance with a well-taken goal. Speaking about his impact, Ahmed added:

“I think he’s a very good player. He's a very explosive player and sometimes coming off the bench, it's very hard for the defenders to contain him because he’s very quick and a physical player. We saw it today."

"He created a couple of chances and I’m so happy for him because he works hard and I hope he continues to score many goals for us."

Kerala Blasters received huge support, with the Manjappada right behind the team when RoundGlass Punjab FC looked threatening. Speaking about the backing the team had, the Kerala Blasters coach said:

"It was fabulous support. Sometimes I think this is our strength towards the end. They cheer for you and from the bottom of my heart I want to say thank you because it's not easy, especially at this time of the year since it's humid and to keep continuously cheering for 90 minutes. So, hats off to them."

Kerala Blasters will face I-League outfit Sreenidi Deccan in their next outing. The game will be held at the same venue on Wednesday (April 12).