ISL: “Punjab FC did very well…,” says Chennaiyin FC head coach Owen Coyle

New Delhi [India], December 19 (ANI): Chennaiyin FC head coach Owen Coyle praised Punjab FC and said that they performed well against them.

Chennaiyin FC conceded a 1-0 against Punjab FC on Monday at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. Madih Talal scored the lone goal to help the home side register their maiden win of the season.

While speaking at the post-match press conference, Coyle hailed Punjab’s Talal and Luka Majcen and said that they were good on Monday.

“Punjab FC did very well tonight. I thought they worked their socks off. Madih Talal was very good; Luka Majcen and some other players did very well. So, credit to Punjab FC; they played (really) well,” Coyle was quoted by ISL’s official website as saying.

He added that they have been doing well in the league and clinched twelve points from ten games.

“We’ve been doing very well. We came into this game with twelve points from ten games. So Chennaiyin FC have been doing very well coming into the game. Obviously, Punjab FC are playing at home, and we’re the away (side). Punjab FC got the goal in the second half–a very good goal. Madih Talal was outstanding all night,” he added.

Talking about the game, he added that a lot of players went forward at the end of the game since they were losing by 1-0.

“In the second half (after conceding the goal), we committed a lot of players forward because we’re losing 1-0 and we have to try and get back in the game,” he added.

The head coach accepted that they failed to perform well in the game. He added that they will try to make it 15 points from eight games of the league.

“We’ll take our punch in the nose, which is tonight. We’ll look to make it 15 points from eight games and (obviously) continue the upward trajectory that we’ve had in the league. What we’ve done now is just give the teams below (in the league table) a bit of encouragement to reach out for that 6th spot at the moment. We, the aspirations, are pushing further (for the sixth spot), and that’s the nature of football,” he concluded.

After losing against Punjab FC, Chennaiyin FC stand in sixth place with 12 points on the ISL standings after winning three games from their 11 matches.