KOZHIKODE: It is not the start newcomers Gokulam Kerala FC would have wanted in their debut I-League campaign. After three matches played, the Kozhikode-based club have only one point in their kitty, but it isn't for the lack of trying.
Gokulam's first ever league match -- played in cold and high altitudes of Shillong -- ended in a narrow 1-0 victory for Shillong Lajong FC. In their first home match, they would take their only point so far from Chennai City FC in a match in which they came close to finding a winner on several occasions.
And on Saturday, with a number of players out injured, Gokulam cut a sorry figure going down 3-0 to fellow newcomers Neroca FC. But for a club formed less than a year ago and its players, the majority having no prior experience at this level, it is still early days and the start of a learning curve.
Head coach Bino George conceded the club found it hard to cope with limited resources they had for the Neroca match. "You should remember we are a new team -- just eight months old and Neroca are a side that qualified as the second division champions," said the AFC Pro Licensed coach.
"The intimation from the AIFF about our participation came late and we could only pick players on a free transfer. But with a bit of polishing, we can compete against these players," said Bino who pointed out that only captain Sushanth Mathew has played in the top division among domestic players.
"Before the match, we could not focus on proper training as a lot of time was spent on adjusting our players to new positions in the absence of injured players. And the reshuffling had an impact on the game as you saw," said Bino who had three international players out injured for Saturday's match.
The prominent among them was Nigerian centre-back Emmanuel Chigozie who pulled his hamstring in the season opener against Lajong. Former Aizawl FC forward Kamo Bayi who scored against Chennai City also missed out along with Cameroonian midfield enforcer Francis Ambane. Lelo Mbele who played despite carrying a knock was caught offside too often as the new target man.
With Gokulam enjoying a decent gap before their next match against Indian Arrows, Bino said the break is much welcome. "I think we will have all three back for the next game which will help us a lot," said the coach who also hinted about reinforcements on the way.
"The transfer window will reopen in January and we will definitely look at the options. We will assess our foreign players and their fitness levels and replace them with better options if needed," he said.
"I am confident that this team can perform, but I did ask the management for some time as we are starting from scratch. Our objective was always to finish in the top half of the table and we will definitely come back and come back stronger," Bino exuded confidence.