"Happy because finally we managed to win": Punjab FC coach after Mohammedan SC match

NEW DELHI: Punjab FC head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis showered praise on his players as they secured a clinical 2-0 victory against Mohammedan Sporting Club in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Friday.

Luka Majcen and Filip Mrzljak's second-half goals powered the Shers to register their sixth victory in the ongoing season as they climbed to the third spot in the standings, making it 18 points from nine matches. With that, also Punjab FC managed to keep two back-to-back clean sheets for the first time in the league this season. Mohammedan is in the second-last spot, having won just one out of 10 matches and lost seven.

Dilmperis said that strategic changes in the second half played a pivotal role in changing the dimension of the game, resulting in consecutive wins for the Shers. However, the head coach shared his dissatisfaction with his team's first-half display, where the hosts struggled to break the deadlock despite creating numerous attacking moves.

"Of course, in the first half, our performance was not really good. It was a game that looks like Mohammedan SC did a little bit better than us," he said in the post-match press conference as quoted by an ISL press release.

"All these changes that we had to do because of the injured players and issues that we had, we lost our connections. We (had to) make decisions. I think we are happy because finally, we managed to win. In the second half, it was a different half. This is what I said to the players. So I was thinking that they would lose a lot of their freshness in the second half. So we have to be patient. It was the strategy of the game. That is why we held back. Since we scored, we had to manage chances and time," Dilmperis further added.

Dilmperis acknowledged Mohammedan SC's offensive strength, bolstered with experienced foreign players. Alexis Gomez's movements and deliveries troubled the hosts, who missed several clear-cut chances, including opportunities through Lalremsanga. Mohammedan SC dominated possession but registered only two shots compared to five by Punjab FC.

Speaking about the opposition, he said, "It was obvious that going higher, we tried to press Mohammedan SC. They have some players with huge quality, especially foreign players."

"And also, they changed the players at the back four, and they start having better possession. We tried to think; that is why the only change that we did was change the right and left backs and the wingers. We did not possess the ball. Especially when we were winning the ball in the transition game at this time, we were not good. We tried to convince the players that we should play safely," he explained.

The Shers are experiencing a flying start in the ongoing ISL season, marking a significant turnaround in their performances in comparison to their debut season. After recording three consecutive wins in their opening fixtures, Dilmperis' men are now in the third spot with six wins from nine matches.

Punjab FC have scored 16 goals in the league thus far, 12 of which came in the second half, having a crucial impact on their final result.

While quizzed on his team's record to score goals in the final half, the Greek head coach remarked,

"I have to trade the secrets. This is my philosophy," he said.

"Games are not won in the first half. Second, you don't lose it also in the first half. You have to be patient. You have to follow your plan up to the end of the game," Dilmperis signed off.