"East Bengal suffered because....": Chennaiyin FC coach Coyle after win

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], February 9 (ANI): Chennaiyin FC head coach Owen Coyle expressed pride with his team's performance as they secured a win over East Bengal FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) on Saturday, saying that his opponents suffered because of how great they were and they were the better team till the last whistle.
Chennaiyin FC raced to a two-goal lead, first through an own goal from Nishu Kumar, followed by a quick strike from Wilmar Gil. East Bengal FC attempted a comeback in the second half and created a couple of gilt-edged chances but couldn't convert. Daniel Chima Chukwu then sealed the win against his former club with a stoppage-time goal, delivering the final nail in the coffin, as per an ISL press release.
With this victory, Chennaiyin FC secured their fifth win of the season in 20 games, matching East Bengal FC's tally, though the Kolkata side has played one game fewer. They remain seven points behind the top six with four matches left to play. When asked about East Bengal FC's performance, Coyle shifted the focus to his own team.
"East Bengal FC suffered because of how good we were. That is what happens in football games... For us, from the first whistle to the last, we were the better team. High intensity, we started the game well. We scored three goals. We could have added further to that. My frustration is that we have been inconsistent as a team this season. And we showed tonight the performance we can give. What we have not done well enough is win our games at home. We have won one game at home and that is not good enough for our supporters. When you do that, as a head coach of players, you leave yourself open to criticism and that's something we accept because people have been good and kind with their support for us," he said in the post-match press conference.
"So I am pleased with the result tonight. But we all know one swallow does not make a summer. We have to show that consistently now and finish the season really strong. But if we perform to that level, which I hope we are capable of and get rid of the inconsistency, then of course we can go on a good run. This is always a tough venue to come. I think East Bengal FC have got some wonderful players," he added.
This was Chennaiyin FC's fourth away win, with most of their victories coming on the road. The result was crucial in keeping their playoff hopes alive, having reached the top six last season as well. While Coyle expressed optimism about his team's chances, he acknowledged that they will also need other results to go their way.
"To have any hope, we have to win our remaining games. But I stressed that we have to win one game at a time. It's as simple as we could do," he said.
He further added: "But we want it for our supporters, we have three of our last four games at home. We want to start winning those games and put a smile on their faces. They come, get behind the team - wonderful supporters. We have to put a smile on their faces and the only way to do it is by performing in the manner we did tonight. But we have not done that often enough, that is the truth of the matter. Anything can happen for us to be involved (in the playoffs). But we have to win all four games and then we need to hope there are a lot of draws elsewhere."
Coyle concluded the press conference by extending his best wishes to East Bengal FC, who will compete in the quarter-finals of the AFC Challenge League in March. The Kolkata side will face Turkmenistan's FK Arkadag in a two-legged tie from the West Region, with a semi-final spot on the line.
"We as a club and everyone else wish East Bengal FC all the best in the AFC (Challenge League) because they are representing India. I have looked at the fixture list, it is really tight in terms of that. But we want Indian clubs to do well in AFC competitions. We wish Oscar (Bruzon) and the East Bengal FC team all the luck and good fortune in the AFC (Challenge League) and hope, like they have done up to this point, make ISL and India proud," he stated. (ANI)