Defending Indian Super League (ISL) champions ATK ended their 2017-18 league campaign with a 1-0 win over NorthEast United to finish ninth in the standings at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday.
Robbie Keane (10'), making his debut as a player-manager after 'interim head coach' Ashley Westwood stepped down from his role after six losses, scored the only goal of the contest in the last match of the regular season.
Keane named himself as the lone striker as he made two changes from the 5-1 hiding at the hands of FC Goa. Keegan Pereira revived his role at left-back and Zequinha made a start after recovering from injury after six weeks. Avram Grant made five changes as he named a full quota of five foreigners as Helio Pinto made his second start of the season and Martin Diaz shifted to centre-back.
Maic Sema of Sweden tried to bring on the fireworks early on with a pacy run down the ATK box but thanks to some atrocious finishing, Soram Poirei saw the ball hit the side-netting.
Robbie Keane (10'), making his debut as a player-manager after 'interim head coach' Ashley Westwood stepped down from his role after six losses, scored the only goal of the contest in the last match of the regular season.
Keane named himself as the lone striker as he made two changes from the 5-1 hiding at the hands of FC Goa. Keegan Pereira revived his role at left-back and Zequinha made a start after recovering from injury after six weeks. Avram Grant made five changes as he named a full quota of five foreigners as Helio Pinto made his second start of the season and Martin Diaz shifted to centre-back.
Maic Sema of Sweden tried to bring on the fireworks early on with a pacy run down the ATK box but thanks to some atrocious finishing, Soram Poirei saw the ball hit the side-netting.
After entering the field as manager and captain, the 37-year-old took the mantle of scoring the goal. Conor Thomas delivered a long ball from the centre-circle and the former Liverpool man went in between Anwar Ali and Jordi Figueras to guide the ball from the outside of his right boot into the net past a hapless Rehenesh T.P.
NorthEast United had their opportunities but decision-making in the final third eluded them. Halcharan Narzary was denied by a deflection off of Jordi Figueras and John Mosquera could not go for a shot a few minutes later as Soram Poirei had no hesitation in making a dive and slapping the ball away in the 36th minute.
In fact, the visitors had displayed much better football than ATK, who of course were winless since beating them in Guwahati in mid-January. With the lion's share of possession, NorthEast United's John Mosquera did not look confident enough.
NorthEast United had their opportunities but decision-making in the final third eluded them. Halcharan Narzary was denied by a deflection off of Jordi Figueras and John Mosquera could not go for a shot a few minutes later as Soram Poirei had no hesitation in making a dive and slapping the ball away in the 36th minute.
In fact, the visitors had displayed much better football than ATK, who of course were winless since beating them in Guwahati in mid-January. With the lion's share of possession, NorthEast United's John Mosquera did not look confident enough.
Sibogankonke Mbatha, the latest ATK recruit from South Africa once again showed some skill and brute energy as he made a couple of penetrative runs but found no support as Keane had dropped deep and Zequinha was not a hundred percent fit after his troubles with his hamstring.
Grant's men did look likely to get an equaliser as contributions from Reagan Singh and Halicharan Narzary ended up either glazing the net or going wide. Marcinho and Danilo Cezario were introduced to strengthen the attack but to no avail.
Grant's men did look likely to get an equaliser as contributions from Reagan Singh and Halicharan Narzary ended up either glazing the net or going wide. Marcinho and Danilo Cezario were introduced to strengthen the attack but to no avail.
Mosquera, formerly of Werder Bremen, kept on giving false hopes as he missed the easiest of chances, the biggest of them in the last quarter of an hour in front of the empty net.
With the win, ATK recorded a full set of points after going eight games winless and ended their league campaign with sixteen points. NorthEast United, with eleven points, become the second team in the ISL to finish bottom twice, after a similar fate in the inaugural season in 2014.
With the win, ATK recorded a full set of points after going eight games winless and ended their league campaign with sixteen points. NorthEast United, with eleven points, become the second team in the ISL to finish bottom twice, after a similar fate in the inaugural season in 2014.
ATK edge past NEUFC to avoid bottom finish
Kolkata, March 4: An early goal from the boots of caretaker coach and captain Robbie Keane helped ATK defeat North East United FC 1-0 in their concluding league clash of the Hero Indian Super League and avoid the embarrassment of finishing at the bottom at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata, on Sunday.
Having struggled to replicate the good performance of the previous seasons, two-times champions ATK needed a win to avoid a bottom-place finish, and Keane's well-taken goal in the 10th minute ensured that. As for NEUFC, it was yet another night where things could have gone their way.
After a sluggish start to the game, ATK went ahead with the first good bit of play in the game. In the 10th minute, Conor Thomas put in a delightful ball over the top of the defenders to pick up Robbie Keane, who brought it down before poking it past goalkeeper TP Rehenesh.
Shortly after going a goal down, North-East had the ball in the back of the net courtesy John Mosquera but it was ruled offside. North-East kept piling on the pressure on ATK for most part of the first phase of play. In the 36th minute, Mosquera should have put the visitors on level terms after being put through on goal by Helio Pinto. The Colombian forward, however, delayed taking his shot, giving goalkeeper Soram Poirei an opportunity to block his effort.
In the second half, both sides made a slow start. At the hour mark, ATK came close to doubling their lead after Sibongakonke Mbatha made a darting run inside the North-East penalty box, but his effort went just wide of the goal. At the other end, the visitors failed to create the chances they had managed to do in the first half.
In the dying moments of the game, North-East close again. Marcinho's 87th-minute freekick looked destined to be headed in by Danilo Lopez but the forward somehow failed to connect.
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