Chennai: Tamil Nadu coach C.M. Ranjith punched the air in delight after his team had beaten Kerala 1-0 for a massive result in the Santosh Trophy south zone qualifiers here on Sunday. He was soon joined by his assistants in celebration.
An elated Ranjith said, “One over, three to go. I knew that Kerala were beatable. My main advice to the boys was not to concede a goal in the first 20 to 25 minutes. ”
The coach paid glowing tribute to his goalkeeper A. Arun Pradeep. “He is my man of the match. Arun gave his all despite carrying an injury. Our central defenders were also excellent today. They never allowed any space for Kerala’s forwards,” he added.
Few would have given Tamil Nadu, short on match practice, a chance against Kerala, who had lost the title on penalties in the last edition. “But I always believed in our chances. It was all about working with a plan,” Ranjith said.
But there are a few loose ends to be tied for the hosts.
“I want the midfield to work harder in the coming match. Our defensive midfielders should fall back to help the defenders,” the coach added.
The atmosphere was terrific at the Nehru Stadium. A few thousand vociferous fans made the clash of two good teams memorable. Ranjith said the whole team was lifted by the support of the fans.
