Robbie Fowler’s agonising wait for his first win as SC East Bengal head coach ended on Sunday and the former England striker believes the victory will spur his team to move up the points table in the Indian Super League (ISL).
Liverpool great Fowler joined the team on a two-year deal in October but the Kolkata side began their maiden ISL season with a hat-trick of defeats.
They arrested the slide with a goalless draw against Jamshedpur FC but had to wait eight games to register their first win in the tournament.
“It’s always nice to get a win,” Fowler said after Sunday’s 3-1 victory against Odisha FC in Goa.
“We have now lost just once in the last five games. It was a good, professional performance.
“We are building and we know that there is a lot of work to be done. It’s a great start to the new year and hopefully we can continue.”
One of Fowler’s recent recruits, Nigerian forward Bright Enobakhare, scored on his debut for the club, while Anthony Pilkington and Jacques Maghoma also found the net.
“We have been playing OK. We have made a few changes and it is important to have secured the win eventually. We are working very hard to get the results that we need,” Fowler said.
“We have a way of playing and we want to keep it simple. When we do that, the game becomes a little bit easier for us.”
East Bengal, currently second from bottom in the 11-team league, face third-placed FC Goa on Wednesday.
Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Christopher Cushing
