After their humiliating defeat to former I-League champion Bengaluru FC at home in their round 4 I-League, debutant Royal Wahingdoh FC today said they are ready to turn the tables as they host injury-hit Dempo SC here tomorrow.
"That was the beauty of football. We played good football in the last match with Bengaluru FC but our strikers could not covert the chances that came our way," Royals coach Santosh Kashyap told PTI.
"We will continue to play the game with a strong determination. We are prepared to turn tables against Dempo SC tomorrow," he said.
After three wins from four games, the Royals are second in the standings with nine points in their kitty, a point behind table toppers Pune FC.
The coach of the newly graduated team, however, made it clear they are to play football and not in the race to lead the table.
"The boys should enjoy one game at a time and not to be under undue pressure to top the table. That is more important for us at the moment," he said.
The visitors have too many things to handle at the moment; a lot of their players are nursing injuries, the cold climatic condition and the higher altitude and Dempo coach Arthur Papas is aware of the football followers here.
As many as eight of their top players including Haroon Amiri, Pronoy Halder, Jewel Raja, Romeo Fernandes, Calum Angus, Narayan Das and Peter Carvalho are ruled out of tomorrow's match.
As former champion manager, Papas however asserted that his playing 11 have a job to accomplish.
"There is no excuse when come for a game and whoever makes it to the playing XI will have a job to do for Dempo," Papas asserted even as he praised Kashyap and Royal Wahingdoh for their good show.
"Royal Wahingdoh has made a fantastic start to the league, their coach is doing a good job in building a team that plays a really interesting style of football which is very attractive to watch and difficult to come up against," he said.
"We have to play to our strength and try to control the game and be proactive with the ball," he said.
While the host will miss star striker Seityasen Singh who is nursing injury, newly signed star defender Naoba Singh and right back Lallawmzuala (Lawma) are also nursing minor injuries.
