GNP SPORTS' MANAGER SHAM ALAM COMMENTS ON HIS TEAM'S 1-0 LOSS AT FC STRATFORD...

Your first league loss... How do you account for that, after thrashing FC 7-1 just days earlier?

"First of all congratulations to FC for the win last night. It was always going to be a tough game and we expected FC to be hurting, following Monday's result. What we have to do now is learn from this, channel the frustration and hurt and be positive versus Ajax and try and get all 3 points." 

Would you say that FC nullified your threats successfully?

"They had a game plan which worked and I will never sit here and tell a team how they should play but the game plan worked. We will analyse where we went wrong but once again well done to FC and we must quickly move on for we have another game tomorrow." 

I know you wanted to get through the season undefeated but I guess you have to take the blow and move on...

"These things happen in football, we now need to learn from our mistakes and ensure we get all 3 points on Saturday. When you have 5 teams all going for that final promotion finish, you have to expect nobody to lie down for you."  

You have to go again on Saturday and so how do you think your players will react to defeat? 

"They have been fantastic all season as a group; the good thing is that we have suffered Cup losses and defeats in pre-season games before, which have just spurred the boys on even more. We will lick our wounds for a night, then focus on Central Ajax." 

Any other comments?

"Yes, I’m proud of the players for being an absolutise juggernaut of a team this season; we never get too excited when we win a game of football and we won’t go the other way either, just because we lost one..." 

Yours in football...

Shamir Alam, Manager, GNP Sports...