ISL 2019-20 | Very happy to beat one of the best teams in the league, asserts Antonio Iriondo

A 17th-minute strike from Sergio Castel helped Jamshedpur to win the game 1-0 to stop the unbeaten run of FC Goa at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Tuesday. The win helped the Men of Steel to rise into the second spot of the table with 10 points and with a goal difference lose the top spot to ATK.

After trailing by a goal, Goa fought hard to score back but could not have the luck. They missed their key players, with suspensions to Seiminlen Doungel and Hugo Boumous they struggled a bit. However, it was the absence of striker Coro hurt the Gaurs most.

Jamshedpur FC's head coach Antonio Iriondo expressed his happiness with the win against a top side like Goa.

“I am very happy with the result. We played very well in the first half. Maybe not that good in the second half, but we fought, and we defended well. Having played against such a good team as this, it is one of the best teams in the league, and to be able to win at their own home is something to be very proud of. I’m happy,” Antonio Iriondo told reporters at the post-match press conference, ISL website reported.

The Spanish manager who termed Goa, Kolkata and Bengaluru as the three best teams in the league before the match stood by his opinion. “Once again, with all the respect for the rest of the teams, Goa, Kolkata and Bengaluru are the three best teams in my opinion," Iriondo said.

“So, we drew with Bengaluru and won here. So, we got one win, one draw and one loss, which I think is a very good balance, for playing against the top three teams in the league. So, yes, we are very happy with the result.”

The experienced manager is also humbled by their position in the table and hopes to continue their winning momentum “The important thing is to be in this position at the end of the season. But the way we have started the season, it is something that is pushing us up and helping us to keep working and trying to go this way. So, hopefully, we can be in this position at the end of the season,” the 66-year-old concluded.