ISL 7: Odisha opened game well but then lost momentum, says coach Baxter

Panaji (Goa) [India], December 7 (ANI): Odisha FC's winless run continued in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) as they went down 0-2 against Mumbai City, and head coach Stuart Baxter feels the tide of the game changed after Batholomew Ogbeche converted the penalty to open the scoring for the Islanders.
A penalty from Ogbeche (30') and a header from Rowllin Borges (45') gave Sergio Lobera's men their third win in four games and their first-win ever over Odisha in the league on Sunday.
"I thought the first 15-20 minutes both teams had the same equation. After the penalty, there was a mismatch between the teams," coach Baxter during the post-match press conference.
"We had three or four chances and we needed to score off them to get some pressure on Mumbai, because at 2-0 there is not much pressure on Mumbai and they are a very technical team so they made it look like a mismatch," he added.
Mumbai started the game spraying around passes and enjoying most of the ball possession. But it was Odisha who enjoyed the first real chance of the match, in the fourth minute, when Diego Mauricio's freekick clipped the top of the crossbar. But that was about as good as it got for Odisha in the first half.
"We opened the game well but then we lost our momentum and our quality. Then the game got stretched out and when that happens, a team like Mumbai thrive. Throughout the game, the quality was not what it should be," said the coach.
This was Odisha's third loss in four games and only point-less SC East Bengal lies below Stuart Baxter's side. The team will next lock horns with Goa FC on December 12. (ANI)