Jamshedpur: Mohun Bagan Super Giant's head coach Jose Molina expressed mixed emotions after his side was held to a 1-1 draw against Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) on Friday. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Molina lauded his players' effort but highlighted the need to capitalize on scoring opportunities.
Mohun Bagan SG took the lead through Subhasish Bose in the first half but saw their lead cancelled out by Stephen Eze in the second half, who scored a marvellous solo goal. The result sees the Mariners still hold their lead at the top.
"In my opinion, we did a brilliant first half. It's really difficult to understand why we didn't come to the dressing room at half-time with more than one goal because we had a lot of chances to score. We dominated everything but had the success of scoring only one goal. Then, in the second half, they changed and started to play with two strikers. We had no clarity in attack," said Molina in the post-match press conference.
Jamshedpur FC seemed to be more control of the game in the second half and with keeper Albino Gomes stepping up, they didnt let the Mariners reclaim their lead despite multiple clear chances late in the game.
Reflecting on the second-half struggles, Molina denied suggestions that his team was tired, insisting, " I think maybe we didn't have in the beginning of the second half that clarity with the ball. We couldn't find the free man to play, to make combinations, to progress in the same way we did in the first half."
"You can have excuses or results. I don't want excuses. I don't feel my players are tired... It's not the same in the first half as in the second half. The first 20 minutes as in the last 20 minutes. They are getting tired during the match. But I'm sure they are ready. They are fit. They are in good shape to fight in 95-100 minutes. Every match they are doing. I'm absolutely happy with them at that point. And now we have to rest, of course," he added
The coach remained optimistic about his team's attacking output despite recent struggles.
"We can complain because we missed a lot of chances, but the reality is that we are top-scoring in the league, along with NorthEast United FC. Today was not the day, but I am sure the goals will come. We are working a lot on finishing and trying to help the players score. Sometimes bad things happen, but we will keep working in the same way," he said.
When asked about the absence of certain players, Molina dismissed hypothetical scenarios.
"The players we have here are the players we have. I'm really happy with all of them. We are trying to recover others as soon as possible, but until then, we work with who we have and aim to win matches," the coach said.
Mohun Bagan SG remain at the top of the table, but Molina acknowledged the team's need to secure victories in crucial moments.
"It would have been better to take three points, but every point added is positive. We played to achieve a win and, in my opinion, deserved it in terms of performance, but not in terms of scoring," he explained.
The Mariners will face Chennaiyin FC next on January 21 and will aim to build on their performances in what promises to be another exciting week of ISL action. (ANI)