Denis Korostichenko, head coach of “Lokomotiv” expressed his opinion after the victory over “Kokand-1912” in the 6th round of the Pro-League.
– I congratulate the guys and those in the club on the victory. It was a difficult victory. I would like to say a big thank you to the fans who came to the stadium and supported us, although there were few of them from a long way. I am grateful to the guys for working hard to win. They were able to win even though they had one less opponent. Also thanks to the coaching staff and Mirko Jelicic. He was able to lead the team out of defeat in the game, which is his victory. The guys did a great job. In the first half, the game was not the same, we could not show the game we wanted. There were unnecessary errors. I don’t know why, we’ll go home after the game and see. In the second half, we were one man short of the opponent and we only had the option to go forward. Although “Kokand-1912” is a strong team, we came here not for a draw, but for a victory, and accordingly we were able to score the winning goals. I also thank the fans of the opponents. The most pleasant thing for the head coaches is the applause and praise of the opponents’ fans. This is appreciated by us coaches. “Kokand-1912” remained in my heart, I worked here together with Temur Kapadze for half a year.
– It was difficult for “Lokomotiv” to win here even with its strong team. Is this some kind of curse?
– Yes, it was very difficult for us to play against “Kokon-1912”. In the last season, we lost in the Super League at home, and there was a draw here. There were war games every year. I would like today’s victory to turn into a streak and last longer, of course. We fought and managed to change this result. I hope that these teams will play here in the Super League next season.
– “Lokomotiv” played a better game after being reduced to 10 men. Can it be considered that the red card was a motivation to attack?
– That’s how it turned out. We talked about everything during the break. After the red card, we knew we had to work twice as hard. It also became a passion. We realized that we had to play even more strongly in the second half with the pace we played in the first half. They played such a game and showed what they are capable of.
– “Lokomotiv” participated in the transfer game with “Turon” last season and lost. It can be seen that the current game of the team has improved a lot compared to the match against “Turon”.
– In the match against “Turon” last season, there was a decline in the game. It was hard for us then. We had a two-week break before the meeting. After the end of the championship, we could not find an opponent for the control game until the transition game. “Turon” played several games. I don’t see this as an excuse. Last season our team was very strong. Several of our players left the team. We brought other players to the team. This is only the fifth game for us. New players can still prove themselves. I think we can still show our best games.