Football Counter talks to Sellebrity F.C. coach Roy Fernandes on their 2-1 win over Bank of India

by Balbir Singh December 6, 2015

On 3^rd December, 2015, Sellebrity F.C. clinched a narrow 2-1 victory against Bank of India in the Mumbai District Football Association (M.D.F.A.) Super Division group A game at St. Xavier’s ground, Parel. It was hard-fought victory and the game nearly fell-out from the hands of S.F.C., but they held-on on the back of two early goals they scored whilst defending that lead until the final whistle.

On the performance the Sellebrity F.C. coach Roy Fernandes said, “Prior to this we played to matches at Cross Maidan, the ground there is small – a little smaller in breath. St. Xavier’s has a wider breath so, that’s one of the reasons for our struggle.”

The game was at 2-1 inside 25 minutes, and with the same scoreline at the half-time whistle too, changes were eminent, but for Sellebrity F.C. two changes were made not because they’d bring something new to the team and change the course of play, but as actual substitutes for injured players.

In the second-half Sellebrity tried to stretch the play: “I told my players to play from the flanks. The more we spread and play the defence gets broken,” Roy said. Most of the game was played in the midfield and thus by getting players accommodated on the flanks and then putting balls back into the now clear midfield was a gameplan which failed in the execution stage for Sellebrity. On the strikers, who were somewhat under firing for his side, “Obi has great pace, but somehow today it didn’t work, he didn’t have the patience to finish a chance very late in the game.”

“The lack of proper passing and decision making” led to a poor display overall despite the win for Sellebrity F.C. according to their coach Roy Fernandes. He also highlighted how the two early goals helped to overall a tough hurdle in Bank of India, and noted how early goals can act like “tonics” to score more.