Punjab FC to take on Churchill Brothers today

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 18

RoundGlass Punjab FC (RGPFC) is all set to take on table toppers Churchill Brothers FC in its next I League encounter at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata tomorrow.

The side has registered one win and one defeat, so far, to grab three points from its two matches.

Head coach Curtis Fleming maintained that Churchill Brothers is one of the toughest opponents of the I League.

“Every game is of 90 minutes and every time we learn from our mistakes. Our next game will be against Churchill and it’s going to be a difficult one for us. We took the positives and negatives from the Gokulam game and used that for our preparation for the game against Churchill,” said Fleming. In its last match, the RGPFC went down to Gokulam despite leading by three goals.

“Both their (Churchill)’s foreign forwards are good to win games for them. They showed this against Arrows the other day. They played a hard-fought draw against Mohammedan, but in the end, it was a good result for them. Eventually, we have to be ready to face quality attacks every week, but we know that our squad’s quality is a concern for other teams as well,” said Fleming.

Some RGPFC players have been injured. The gaffer said: “We have a couple of injury worries but Bikramjit is doing well. He is back in training. Sumeet too is not far from gaining full fitness. Jiten has gone for a scan and I hope he will be available soon. Ashish Jha and Denzil, too, are not yet fit, but we just can’t mourn about the injuries. These are part of the game.”

Midfielder Sanju Pradhan, one of the most experienced players of the side, said: “We are prepared for the Churchill challenge. We have learned from our mistakes and are ready for the next game. We know that Churchill is a quality and experienced side, but we are ready for the task,” said Pradhan.

Talking about the mood after the disappointing defeat against Gokulam, Pradhan said: “We are very positive. We have great management and a thoroughly professional coaching team. Our gaffer did a great job motivating every one of us. We are ready to give more than 100 per cent against Churchill.” A win against Churchill will take the RGPFC to the top of the points table.

3 new players to be signed

Sources maintained that the RGPFC will sign three new players in the coming days. Among the three, two are Indian players from the ISL, while one is a famous international defender.