RoundGlass Punjab FC have had a bright start to their I-League 2021-22 campaign with two wins and a draw under their belt. The Club is currently placed 2nd on the league’s points table, having earned seven points in three matches so far. In its last match, RoundGlass Punjab FC defeated Kenkre FC 4-0 as Kurtis Guthrie registered a brace along with Gurtej Singh and Robin Singh scoring a goal apiece. Ashley Westwood’s side will lock horns with Aizawl FC in their next game at the Kalyani Stadium.
RoundGlass Punjab FC head coach Ashley Westwood and forward Robin Singh addressed the media during the pre-match press conference ahead of their I-League clash against Aizawl FC on Friday.
Coach Westwood spoke about the team’s present state after the resumption of the I-League.
“It has been difficult with all the restrictions and quarantines. It’s the same for all the teams with injury issues and suspensions. But we are just working hard to be the best team. We’ve prepared the best we can during the pre-season. We had to make changes to our approach after the resumption. I feel like we’ve got going again. We are just excited to be trying to move forward.”
Ashley spoke about the team’s preparation for the game against Aizawl FC.
“Preparations have been good. We are coming at a back of a good result in the 4-1 win over Kenkre FC. We’ve used a lot of young players with some making their debuts. Against Kenkre, we managed to get some young players on the pitch like Freddy and Maheson.
“We’ve used 21 players across our three games so far, which is important in a contested campaign. We’ve had as much recovery as possible. We are expecting a difficult game against a tricky team like Aizawl FC.”
Ashley gave his assessment on opponents Aizawl FC.
“Aizawl FC are a team with a lot of good players. We know they will be fit and not afraid to get on the ball and play. They have a possession-based style, and we are not taking them lightly. We are expecting a tough game and need to prepare and apply ourselves correctly to get the three points.
“They have a lot of north-eastern players who I’ve always been a fan of since I came to India. I think they’ve been unfortunate with the results of the three games they have played so far. On another day, they could have more points on the board.”
Striker Robin Singh was also present during the media interaction. Below are his excerpts.
Coming on as a substitute, striker Robin Singh was back among the goals against Kenkre. He spoke about the feeling to be back on the scoresheet.
“It was a happy moment for me as I scored after a long wait, but that’s gone now. More than myself, I want Punjab to win. I think every win is important. Three points will get us closer to our aim of finishing at the top. Personally, I am happy that I scored but that’s a thing of the past now. We are focusing on the next game and want to get the most out of it.”
Robin shared his views on the next game and also the positives the team can take from the last match.
“There are a lot of positives for us to draw from our last match and we want to take that momentum with us to the next one against Aizawl FC. My focus is solely on the next match and contributing to the team’s success in all ways possible.”
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