Having suffered their first loss during their last encounter in the ongoing I-League, Tiddim Road Athletic Union (TRAU) FC would be gunning to get back to winning ways when they take on the in-form Aizawl FC at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium, Kalyani on Tuesday. (More Football News)
After a good start to the season that saw TRAU FC match step-for-step with the likes of Churchill Brothers and Real Kashmir FC at the top of the table, the Manipur-based club tasted defeat in their last match, pushing them down to seventh on the table.
Although just a point adrift of fifth-placed Aizawl FC, TRAU will aim for maximum points to put them back into the leading pack.
"We could not convert our chances in the last match and we had misunderstandings within our defence. We lost the ball too quickly and we have identified and even rectified these mistakes," TRAU head coach Nandakumar said.
"We will go for a positive result tomorrow and hope to get back in the top half of the table. Aizawl FC are a very good team and they are very difficult to beat. It will be a tough game tomorrow for us, but for the neutrals, it will be a very enjoyable game to watch," he added.
On the other hand, a goalless draw against Churchill Brothers was probably not as bad a result for Aizawl FC, who still have a match in hand.
Although the Yan Law-coached side is in fifth place, they have shown signs of crisp attacking football that is capable of giving the title contenders a run for their money. A win would put them in touching distance of table toppers Churchill Brothers – with just one point behind.
"It is not going to be easy tomorrow. TRAU will be desperate for points and it will be a difficult match for us. We need to win as well to keep the momentum going," Law said.
"We are taking one match at a time and in this league, one win can change the entire table for any team. Hence, it is vital for us to get as many points as we can and hope to build on the momentum that we showed against Churchill, where we pushed them to the last second," Law added.
Match and telecast details:
Match: TRAU Vs Aizawl FC
Date: February 9 (Tuesday), 2021
Time: 7:00 PM IST
Venue: Kalyani Stadium, Kalyani
TV Channel: 1Sports
Live Streaming: 1Sports Facebook
(With PTI inputs)