U Mumba coach all praise for defence after tight win

U Mumba kept their hopes of a Super Play-Off berth alive as they beat host team Tamil Thalaivas 33-30 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Sunday. On a day their primary raider Kashiling Adake had to be taken out due to an injury, the other members of the squad put their hand up and ensured that their team pulled through even without him.

U Mumba coach Bhaskaran Edacherry was fully aware how important this result was for their team. “This victory was very important because if we are to stay alive in this league then we have to win all our remaining matches,” said Edacherry at the post-match press conference.

He also went on to appreciate the efforts of their opponents. “I would like to congratulate the Tamil Thalaivas players for the comeback they staged late in the match. They gave us a tough fight today. They may not have the experience in their side this season but the more they play the more experience they will gain which will ultimately help them perform better in the future.”

The match was hanging in the balance in the dying moments but the injured Adake fought through pain and took the mat again for his team which prompted the coach to shower praise on the raider. “He sustained a knee injury while being tackled which could have got aggravated, had we continued playing him so we had to substitute him. But being the player that he is, he came in late and scored for the team which was ultimately the deciding factor,” said Edacherry.

The experienced U Mumba defence, led by Kuldeep Singh, also found a mention at the press conference. “The super tackles we made under pressure were possible only because of our experienced defenders. We have experience in our ranks and that will take the team ahead,” concluded Edacherry.

Meanwhile, Bengal Warriors coach Jagdish Kumble was also delighted with their first inter-zonal win of the season as they beat Jaipur Pink Panthers 32-31 earlier in the evening. “The previous inter zone match we played against Delhi ended in a draw so we came into this match desperate for a win. We knew we had to win in order to cement our place in the top 3 in Zone B and thankfully we had a favourable result today,” he said.