CHANDIGARH: On a high after a hat-trick of victories, RoundGlass Punjab FC will start as favourites against a beleaguered Tiddim Road Athletic Union Football Club (TRAU FC) ahead of their upcoming I-League fixture at the Naihati Stadium in Bengal on Friday evening.
The Punjab-based outfit recorded a 3-1 victory against domestic football giants Mohammedan SC in their previous outing, to make it six wins from their 10 matches so far. Putting behind a couple of draws and losses, the Punjab boys rose to the third spot in the points table, with two more rounds of fixtures left to play before the conclusion of the league's first phase.
Punjab FC head coach Ed Engelkes feels that the team is on the right track but cautioned his unit against any complacency when they take the field against the Manipur-based outfit.
"TRAU FC needs points and will play on the edge. We must be prepared for that and try to play our own game. We know what they are capable of and respect them. We know that we cannot relax and must put in a lot of hard work in our coming matches. We approach every game like a final and I ask the players to give their best each time," the 58-year-old said at the pre-match presser.
Last season's third-placed team TRAU haven't had the best of campaigns this time around as they sit in 10th place, three points adrift of top 7.
Sharing his thoughts on the team's preparations ahead of Friday's contest, the Dutchman stated, "Our preparation has been going on as usual. Our philosophy has not changed, and we will look to play the same way as we have in our previous games. We got the three points in the last match but more importantly, I am happy that we were competitive against a strong opponent."
"The players are gaining a lot of confidence and we feel that we are taking the right steps towards how we want to play," he added.
Midfielder Freddy Lallawmawma, who made his I-League debut this season, said, "Training has been going on nicely and we have worked on the areas where we want to improve for Friday's game. Our last match was a tough one and it was good to get the three points there."
"So far, it has been a great experience in the I-League. I am learning a lot both on and off the field, and want to thank the club, my teammates, and staff for their relentless support," he added.
On the other hand, TRAU FC head coach L Nandakumar Singh labelled the 0-0 draw last time out against Sudeva Delhi as one of their worst performances of the season. "We didn't perform well. There were a lot of errors. We've done our analysis and realised the mistakes," he said.
The 62-year-old is aware of the challenges RoundGlass Punjab will pose for TRAU. "I respect Punjab. They impressed me in their last match against Mohammedan. It will be a difficult match against their skilful players. So we have to minimize our errors and not allow them to play freely."
