ISL 7: NorthEast United defended really well, says Kerala Blasters coach

Kerala Blasters FC interim head coach Ishfaq Ahmed didn't shy away from praising the strong defence of NorthEast United FC after his side ended the season with a defeat.

NorthEast United sealed their playoff berth following their 2-0 win over Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Tilak Maidan, on Friday.

Though NorthEast was clearly the better side in the first session, Kerala Blasters did have their chances. But the Highlanders' defense stood strong.

Ishfaq praised Highlanders' midfielder Khassa Camara and expressed disappointment on ending the season on a losing note.

"The players wanted to sign off with a good feeling. But we have to give credit to NorthEast also, they defended really well, I thought their defensive midfielder Khassa Camara was amazing," said Ishfaq at the post-match press conference.

The interim coach also pointed out how Kerala Blasters have been conceding goals right after the water breaks. Ishfaq said the lack of concentration during the match is one of the reasons the Kerala-based club has not been able to win games.

"We conceded immediately after the water break but that has been our story [this season]. Not just water breaks but even when we've been playing good football, one [moment of] lack of concentration or not paying attention to small details and we concede," said Ishfaq.

"We were dominating in the [first half] and we created two good chances from set-pieces. [Bakary] Kone missed a clear goal and then the water break happened and we switched off for a second and conceded the goal," he added.

( With inputs from ANI )