Reigning champions Mumbai City FC strengthened their top-four bid with a 4-1 hammering of struggling Odisha FC in the Indian Super League on Sunday.
The Islanders head coach Des Buckingham lauded his players and said tonight the ISL team displayed a "complete performance."
Both Igor Angulo and Bipin Singh bagged braces for Mumbai City FC but Jonathas Cristian wiped off the Islanders' clean sheet in stoppage time.
Speaking about his side's performance, the Mumbai City FC gaffer said:
"It’s been a wonderful and a complete performance from a side that’s been due for a long time. We’ve shown periods over the last 14 games that we were able to play that way but the pleasing thing for me this season is that we’ve been ought to show our performances from start to finish."
With the victory, MCFC have galloped into the top four spots with 25 points in 15 games. However, Buckingham assured that the team isn't getting carried away by the result.
"Whenever you win the game, the mood does improve, but one thing I’ve been really impressed with is, this group doesn’t get carried away whether we win or lose, it’s about measuring our performances."
He added:
"The form right now is very good. Now, we’re unbeaten in four games and we want to build our momentum going into the final five or six games and that’s what we’ve put together over the last four games. It is important that we get ourselves ready as it will be a tough test against Jamshedpur FC in three days' time," the English head coach said.
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"Mumbai City FC were clinical in taking their chances" - Odisha FC head coach on their ISL defeat
Meanwhile, Odisha FC interim head coach Kino Garcia looked visibly dejected after the loss. But the Spaniard believes the scoreline wasn’t a true reflection of how the game went.
After the game, Garcia admitted that Mumbai City FC were more clinical in front of the goal. He said:
"I think Mumbai City FC played well. They were clinical in taking their chances. During the match we had chances to score before Jonathas scored. I think the first half was neck and neck. The goals in the last minutes of the first half hit us hard. Then in the second half they scored pretty soon so it changed the game."
"They were really clinical and we were not. I think Mumbai City FC deserve to win and we need to improve for the next match," the Odisha FC boss added.
Currently, the Juggarnauts are seventh in the ISL points table with 21 points after 16 games.