Vasco: Unbeaten at the turn of new year, a resurgent Churchill Brothers will aim to keep their winning run intact when they take on surprise challengers Neroca FC at the Tilak Maidan on Tuesday.
The ‘Red Machines’ have won three of the four matches they have played in 2018, a record bettered by only Minerva Punjab, who have won all four. Two of those three wins have come at home and assistant coach Alfred Fernandes said that the match against Neroca is very crucial but they are confident.
“A win will be a moral boost for us as we play next two matches at home against Minerva Punjab who are leading the chart and Aizwal FC,” he said.
They, however, remain at the bottom on 10 points from nine games. But confident on their current run forward Koffi Mechec warned, “we can beat anybody in the league.”
Neroca on the other, come on the back of consecutive home defeats, a first for them after an unbeaten run of nine games. They are still second with 21 points from 12 games, but another loss will mean rivals behind can match up to them.
“Yes, it is a must-win game. There is pressure on us because we don’t want to lose the game. If we lose three matches continuously then it is not good for the future. But we need to go on. We want to win and we will work hard for three points or maybe one point. Churchill are a good team,” Neroca FC coach Gift Raikhan said.
He though felt that the defeats were more out of their bad luck rather than the opponent’s better game. “We conceded within two minutes. After that, we dominated the game. We got chances but we could not score,” he said but at the same time promised to come back stronger.
A win will not change their position on the table but keep them on the run for their maiden title — Neroca is five points far from leaders Minerva, having played two more matches. But Churchill with a victory can jump to seventh.