'Kerala Blasters deserved the point' - Kibu Vicuna proud of second-half fight against East Bengal

Kerala Blasters boss Kibu Vicuna felt that his team deserved the late goal that Jeakson Singh scored against East Bengal in the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) match on Sunday. 

A 13th-minute Bakary Kone own goal had East Bengal in the lead for most of the game but half-time substitutes Jeakson Singh and Sahal Abdul Samad combined to come up with a late equaliser for the winless Yellow Army.

"I think it was a deserved goal that Jeakson scored. I am proud of their players' fighting spirit in the second half. We wanted three points but we showed that we can create chances," the former Mohun Bagan head coach said after the game. 

Striker Gary Hooper, who only has one goal to his name this season, once again led the line for Blasters after Vicuna had opted for a two-striker system in their previous match. The Spaniard explained the return to the single striker formation, saying he wanted the team to dominate the game. Hooper was replaced at the break due to an injury. 

"It was for tactical reasons (that the team switched back to a one-striker system). We wanted to have the ball more than the opponent. We had different possibilities and I thought this was the best one.

"(Hooper) is a good player, he was an important player. He had muscular problems and I replaced him with Murray."