PUNE: On Saturday,
DSK Shivajians failed to turn up. Aizawl did. Playing smart and within themselves, the Mizoram outfit spoiled the hosts' party with a clinical 1-0 win that saved themselves from relegation temporarily. The win pushed Aizawl from eighth to sixth with a tally of 16 points, one more than both Shillong Lajong and Shivajians.
There couldn't have been a worse result for Shivajians who were playing their last home game, especially after a remarkable turnaround in the latter half of the season which saw them unbeaten in seven games.
Coach Derrick Pereira was brutally honest in his assessment of his team's performance.
"We didn't deserve to get a point today. The way we went into the game, it seemed as if the players thought we have already won the game," he said.
"I should take the blame for not preparing well. The body language was poor, there was no will to win."