I-League 2018-19: “I always let my performance talk,” says Willis Plaza after his brace sinks Mohun Bagan

After their fabulous victory against Shillong Lajong at home, Churchill Brothers put up another inspiring show in their crucial away match against Mohun Bagan. The Goanese side won by 3-0 thanks to a brace from Willis Plaza and another goal from captain Dawda Ceesay.

Churchill remained the unbeaten side in this season’s I-League with two wins and three draws and have climbed up to the second position with nine points from five matches. After his hat-trick against Shillong Lajong, Plaza showed another creditable performance for his team. Also, he is now the highest scorer of this season with five goals.

Plaza was criticised last season for his profligacy in the goalmouth when he was playing for East Bengal. After switching his loyalty to Churchill, the player from Trinidad and Tobago might have found his rhythm back. He was a dominant force in the Hero Super Cup. In the I-League too, he retained the same performances.

When asked how satisfying it is after scoring five goals in two matches, Plaza said, “I don’t like to talk too much; rather I let my performance talk. You can see my answer if you’ve watched my performance today.”

Plaza was even criticised for underperforming in big matches, more so in the Kolkata derby against Mohun Bagan. He was released by the club before the then East Bengal coach Khalid Jamil brought him back. But he failed to make his mark and departed midway of the season.

Asked whether scoring against Mohun Bagan would make him more satisfied, Plaza said, “Nothing like that. My job is to score goals, whoever the opponent is. I don’t know who said I’m a bad footballer. But I don’t want to speak anything on my criticisers. I have started fresh this season and want to continue this way.”

Churchill’s coach Petre Gigiu said they were extra cautious, especially in the second half when they were leading by a goal, knowing that Mohun Bagan can turn the game back anytime. “We knew we were facing a very good team. So I told the players not to risk anything and not to commit mistakes. The defenders played well.”

Asked about the margin of win, Gigiu reflected, “We are definitely happy with the result. As I said before, the pressure was on Mohun Bagan as they were playing on their home ground, they had the support and expectation. On the other hand, we had nothing to lose, so we played our natural game and the result is for all to see.”

Churchill Brothers will now travel to Kerala to face another tough test against Gokulam Kerala which is scheduled for Friday, November 30.