Kolkata: ATK head coach Teddy Sheringham on Sunday held his defenders responsible for his side’s disappointing loss to FC Pune City at Salt Lake Stadium.
“It looked a big margin but it was closely fought for an hour. We got ourselves back in it with a fantastic free kick but went to sleep for two seconds and put under ourselves under pressure again to concede the second goal,” Sheringham told reporters at the end of the second round Indian Super League (ISL) match here.
Bipin Singh scored a superb free kick in the 50th minute to cancel out Marcelinho’s first half strike. But in the next minute, Rohit Kumar headed in Marcelinho’s corner.
Sheringham said his side fought well for an hour but after falling behind immediately after level-pegging cost them the game.
“It looked a big margin but it was closely fought for an hour. We got ourselves back in it with a fantastic free kick but went to sleep for two seconds and put under ourselves under pressure again to concede the second goal,” the former Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur player added.
ATK goalkeeper Debjit Majumder received the burnt for conceding all the four goals but Sheringham stood by the side of his goalkeeper.
“I don’t know you can’t blame Debjit. The first goal, he fell against a clear shot and I can’t blame him for that. second one, far post header, centre halves got to do better and protect it. The third one’s deflection and I haven’t seen the fourth one but I would like to think that’s a deflection. The way it slid under his body. No point blaming Debjit sometimes it happens in football and you are left open as a goalkeeper,” Sheringham said.
ATK, who have one point from two games, next play Jamshedpur FC on December 1.