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At the wake of the first-ever home match of the ongoing I-League 2016-17, that too against mighty East Bengal, Minerva Punjab FC are nowhere going to throw in the towel before the final whistle. Meanwhile the I-League is set to make a comeback to the city of Ludhiana for the very first time since the 2010-11 season.
Manager Trevor Morgan and Robin Singh attended the conference on behalf of the away side while Head Coach Surinder Singh and Manandeep Singh represented the hosts.
Upon asking Minerva Punjab coach Surinder Singh, he added that, unfortunately, they have lost away points without a win from four away games.
“We are taking only the positives from our previous games and stepping into tomorrow’s home game and we’re playing to win three points.”
Manandeep Singh also addressed that Minerva Punjab FC are looking for win three points since they are at the bottom of the table and are eager to taste their first victory.
Coach Surinder Singh also confirmed that his side is fully fit and ready for the game. What would concern coach Surinder Singh is the fact that his team have only managed to score a single goal.
The good news is that Technical Director Colm Toal has taken charge of the squad and his inputs shall benefit immensely a team short of confidence.
On the other hand, Trevor Morgan has guided East Bengal to two away victories this season. They are coming on the back of a fantastic win over reigning champions Bengaluru FC.
When asked about the league, Trevor Morgan said, “The I-League is tough and taxing, we’ve played across different surfaces, against different types of opposition and it’s been a lot of travelling around.”
When asked about their road to Ludhiana after a huge away win against the champions Bengaluru FC, Morgan commented, “We had a good win against a good side. We have to prepare for a hard game against Minerva Punjab FC. We don’t want to be at end of upset here in Punjab.”
The English coach will be pleased to see Robin Singh get back to scoring ways as he scored the winner in their last outing.
Robin stated, “I’ve just put the ball at the back of the net. It’s done & dusted already and tomorrow is a new game. It’s not an easy game tomorrow and we’ll play to win it.”
When asked about the ground conditions, Robin claimed that he had no complaints on the ground, but it can definitely be kept better.
Mehtab Hossain is back to his vintage best while Ivan Bukenya has been a rock for the Red and Gold brigade in defence. In the absence of Arnab Mondal, Anwar Ali and Gurwinder Singh have deputised and while both haven’t been the best, it’s fair to state that the Kolkata outfit haven’t really been tested in that department.
On Sunday, all roads will lead to Guru Nanak Stadium as Punjab is ready to host its first top-flight league game in over five years.
The match is slated to kick-off at 4:30pm and it’ll be telecast live on TEN 2.
by I-League Media
