ATK claim a 2-1 victory against Delhi Dynamos to end the season on a winning note and to finish in 6th position in ISL 2018-19.
Their qualifying hopes dashed, two-time former champions ATK had a chance to conclude their campaign on a winning note when they faced an in-form Delhi Dynamos in their final game of Indian Super League 2018-19 season.
ATK suffered a crushing 1-3 defeat to Mumbai City at home for their second successive loss and sixth overall to be eliminated from the playoff race. For a brief period, after the season resumed in January, it looked as if ATK had completely turned things around. With the signing of Edu Garcia, ATK looked like a potent threat, picking up an impressive 2-1 against Jamshedpur FC earlier in the league.
| Team | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|
| Chennaiyin FC | 2 – 1 | 3 – 2 |
| Delhi Dynamos FC | 2 – 1 | 2 – 1 |
| FC Goa | 0 – 0 | 0 – 3 |
| FC Pune City | 1 – 0 | 2 – 2 |
| Kerala Blasters FC | 0 – 2 | 1 – 1 |
| Mumbai City FC | 1 – 3 | 0 – 0 |
| NorthEast United FC | 0 – 1 | 0 – 0 |
| Jamshedpur FC | 2 – 1 | 1 – 1 |
| Bengaluru FC | 1 – 2 | 0 – 1 |
However, dropping points at FC Pune City and then losing 0-3 at FC Goa meant they were back in the elimination zone before Mumbai completed the formalities in the previous match.
Under tremendous pressure, ATK coach Steve Coppell managed the team well against the resurgent Dynamos, who were on a six-match unbeaten run.
“Who knows whether or not I’ll be here next season. It’s not my decision. We still have one game left this season. The league will get more demanding so you need more good players who are resilient and have the ability to win games. We haven’t been consistent enough this season and I didn’t feel our balance of the squad wasn’t there,” the Englishman said reflecting on another trophy-less season.
ISL 2018-19 Top Goal Scorers ATK FC
| Player | Country | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Manuel Lanzarote | Spain | 5 |
| Jayesh Rane | India | 2 |
| Komal Thatal | India | 1 |
| Ankit Mukherjee | India | 1 |
| Gerson Vieira | Brazil | 1 |
| André Bikey | Cameroon | 1 |
| John Johnson | England | 1 |
| Kalu Uche | Nigeria | 1 |
| Noussair El Maimouni | Morocco | 1 |
| Balwant Singh | India | 1 |
After a goalless first-half, Edu Garcia headed ATK into the lead.Though Nandhakumar Sekar pulled Delhi Dynamos level, a late winner from Ankit Mukherjee clinched all three points for the home side.
ATK drew first blood in the 63rd minute when Garcia put it past the outstretched arms of Francisco Dorronsoro with a stunning header. A cross from Pritam Kotal on the right side of midfield was put to precision and the Spaniard rose to the occasion at the Salt Lake Stadium. But their lead lasted less than 10 minutes with the Lions striking back through super sub Nandhakumar Sekar.
The brilliance of Garcia was on display once more in the last league game of the season when he lifted a beautiful ball from the left to set up a surging Ankit. Left completely unmarked, the ATK super sub needed a simple volley to tap in the winner and bring an end to an inconsistent season for the 2014 and 2016 champions.
This article was originally published in FirstPost.com