Jamshedpur, October 22
Hyderabad FC head coach Thangboi Singto acknowledged his team's need for improvement at both ends of the pitch after the club suffered their third defeat in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season.
The Yellow and Black managed to score their first goal of the season against Jamshedpur FC, with Cy Goddard finding the net early in the second half. But it wasn't enough as first-half goals from Rei Tachikawa and Jordan Murray secured another three points at home for Khalid Jamil's squad.
The visitors started the match positively but couldn't maintain the momentum for long, allowing the home side to gain control after the initial phase of play.
Singto discussed his players' performance and the issues they faced during their defeat in the post-match press conference.
"The first 30 minutes were one of the best football matches we have played by far. But what happened after the first 30 minutes is a different story. Before Jamshedpur FC scored, we were controlling (the game), and pushing Jamshedpur FC back," Singto said as quoted from ISL.
"But maybe football is about concentration, and a lack of communication led to that cross happening and from there, with that movement and not tracking Rei (Tachikawa), who was running for a tap-in. We can do better defensively and we need to be sharper," he added.
The long wait for their first goal of the season ended, and while Hyderabad FC showed moments of sharpness, the hosts used their experience overall to secure the three points.
"We scored our first goal of the season at least, though we lost in terms of performance. I think we were happy with the first half and in patches, but, you know, we're going to churn out the results. We need to win for everybody around us. So yeah, we have to keep working hard," Singto opined.
The visitors actually gained more possession and had more shots on target, with eight compared to Jamshedpur FC's five.
Singto praised his players for their efforts on the pitch, particularly the young winger Ramhlunchhunga, who troubled Jamshedpur FC on several occasions but couldn't help secure their second point of the season in the end.
"Some of the boys really stepped up today. Ramhlunchhunga: what a game he had today! The shortest guy (on the pitch), but he was all around the pitch with some good shots on target," he remarked.
"But we need to be more clinical; football is about goals. If you want three points, you need to score goals. We scored, but Jamshedpur FC scored two, so hopefully in the next match, we go better prepared and don't concede and score," the head coach commented.