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Hyderabad FC managed to snatch a draw in the dying stages of their sixth ISL game of the season against Punjab FC in New Delhi on Tuesday.
While the majority of the game seemed to end goalless, Juan Mera was set up by a brilliant Madih Talah ball in the Hyderabad box to open the scoring for Punjab in the 82nd minute.
Hyderabad seemed destined to go down to their fourth loss of this season but new signing Jonathan Moya had other plans. Standing tall over his markers in the 98th minute and jumping high to meet a Mark Zothanpuia cross, the Costa Rican finally silenced all his critics with a header that went past the Shers' goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong.
The goal helped Hyderabad salvage a point from a game that they seemed destined to lose. Although the late goal was commendable, the performance was also telling about the Nawabs' lack of clinical nature in front of goal.
They took 15 shots, most of which they missed to even hit on target. Striker Aaren D'Silva, who started in place of Moya today, failed to hit the mark on many occasions today.
Head coach Thangboi Singto, speaking to the media after the game, sounded expectedly disappointed.
"Today's game was like the weather - cloudy, sloppy from both teams," said Singto. "For us as a team, just playing two days back and the travel (schedule). Forget about the travel, maybe not enough rest, so that affected the performance, I would say because there were a few changes only."
Singto added:
"But that can't be an excuse because when you go onto the pitch wearing the club badge, you have to be able to give your 100 per cent. Did we do that? I don't think so. But did we try? Of course, we did. I think a draw is a good result for us, but today was a day where we could have taken the three points."
"Finishing is an area of concern for us" - Thangboi Singto
One of the biggest concerns for Hyderabad this season has been to find the back of the net consistently. Last season, they had the experienced Bart Ogbeche waiting for service alongside his young colleague Javi Siverio, but both of them have left the Nawabs this year.
Jonathan Moya, Felipe Amorim and Aaren D'Silva are the sole attackers in the side at the moment, to go with fellow new-signing Joe Knowles. But unfortunately, they have all flattered to deceive. Moya is the only one of the quartet who has a goal to his name.
"We had more shots, we had more ball possession, we had more passes and more corners, but that doesn't really help if you don't score and win games," said Singto. "Yes, we still need to work as a team in the final third of the pitch, where we need more creativity, where we need more finesse, where we need players to be clinical. The chances were there, if they were taken today, not only today but in the previous games, I think we have created enough chances to win games."
Singto added:
"Going forward, what do we do? We need to keep working in the six-yard, 18-yard box where the players just have to finish the chances we're creating. That's an area of concern for us (finishing), but we need to keep working."
