I understand why this is a thrill for people. Only WHEN you pull it off. And hot damn did we ever pull off the Great Escape. On goal difference over Namdhari FC and Shillong Lajong. It was by no mean feat easy because of our results but after a bunch of hatewatching we managed to get through and survive in the I League.
Let’s walk you through every part of the emotion I felt through it all.
Our results weren’t great for must win matches really. It was a loss to Churchill Brothers first
We got put into a spin cycle by one of their wingers and their man mountain of a striker. I don’t know where our attack even was. They just went missing like a poof of magic.
It didn’t get any better with a loss to a team at the very top of the league in Sreenidhi Deccan.
To compound that misery our starting keeper and midfielder were away on international duty for that match for Nepal and India U20’s respectively if you remember that from my previous post. Even with that we had the shots but absolutely did not fall anywhere near the goal. They were all stupidly and horribly wild.
Given our last match against Neroca was a must win to match Namdhari FC’s points total, it was time for some hatewatching. And I got to say it was more nerve wracking than a hatewatch should be. Take a look:
First one was Namdhari vs the eventual champions Mohammedan SC which was anything but straightforward.
I have no idea how these Namdhari fools are in the relegation scrap with us when they almost mounted a damn comeback like that. And also how a team at the top of the league had such a horrid defense.
Then it was Shillong Lajong’s match where a loss would see them confirmed to be relegated and I was befuddled once again
How in the world do these guys have an absolute behemoth of a game when relegation is on the line but we had that pile of slop in our two games?? I have never had a hatewatch that made me hate my own damn team like these two have.
Anyway, we needed a win against Neroca and we managed to deliver somehow:
Win is a win. Despite how irritated I was when they couldn’t be bothered to do this in the previous 2 matches. I’m not asking for wins. I’m wondering why we aren’t scoring. Goals win games is a phrase for a reason.
Then one final hatewatch for Namdhari where they needed to lose to make sure they were relegated too and I was supremely irritated once again when Inter Kashi who were up in the top half only scored 1. DAMN. GOAL
I mean this was a poor display of shooting given it was 13 shots a piece with only single digits shots on target. But anyway they got the loss I needed.
And that means the table looks like so
We managed to get through by the skin of our teeth and remain in the I-league. We need better recruiting if we stand a chance to remain here. And I have some plans.