PANAJI: Odisha FC on Tuesday displayed great character to script a 1-1 draw against Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) and head coach Stuart Baxter was impressed with the aggressive approach of his players in the second half.
Halicharan Narzary (13') put Hyderabad ahead at the break but saw his header cancelled out after a fine strike from Odisha's Cole Alexander (51'). The Odisha FC boss also explained how his side managed to turn things around after conceding the goal in the first half.
"We started the game very well. We set up to press high and I think we caught them by surprise. But when they started to get out of that pressure and get the balls into the wide areas, we were a little bit stretched," Baxter said in the post-match press conference.
"In the second half, we changed the way we pressed at the front. As soon as we lost the ball, we reset better. They did not have the joy that they did in the first half and I thought our attacking play was very good," he added.
Odisha FC is rooted at the bottom of the table but Baxter has warned that no team should take his side lightly in the upcoming matches "I am impressed with the younger lads; they don't fold. They know the pressure that they are under. They get a game plan and they stick to it. We are not an opponent who can be put away. We could have easily won the game," the Odisha head coach said.
Odisha FC will now lock horns with Bengaluru FC on Sunday.