Atletico de Kolkata had lost three games in a row in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2015 after a good start to the season. The defending champions were desperately looking for a win to resurrect their campaign. Cometh the hour, cometh the man! Iain Hume, who failed to find the back of the net in the first six games of ISL 2015, scored an outstanding hat-trick against Mumbai City FC in match 27 at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday.
Atletico de Kolkata head coach Anotnio Lopez Habas was worried, and that was evident from his expressions ahead of their encounter against the upbeat Mumbai City FC, who were on a three-game winning streak on their home ground. Hume's hat-trick and one more from Augustin Fernandes ended that.
"It's my first-ever professional hat-trick. I've scored hat-tricks in reserve games and pre-season games, and waited over 500 games to score a hat-trick. So it means an awful lot to me. You could see that in my celebration! It's a brilliant feeling, but that's only an added bonus. Three points is the main thing, and I think everyone will tell you that. We've got that and we've worked hard to put everything into practice. We're over the moon, but we've got to start working on the NorthEast game once we get back to Kolkata," Hume was quoted as saying by the ISL official website.
There are a lot of expectations from the defending champions, and if they want to make it to the final four, this 31-year-old Canadian forward, who has three assists to his name in ISL 2015, will have to be in his prime.
It was just when the doctor ordered that Hume revved up his game and scored three, enrolling himself in ISL's goalscoring list.
Hume now eyes the home games where he wants to pick up maximum points. Atletico de Kolkata have only played two home games so far this season, and won one and lost the other. Qualifying for the semi-finals is definitely a priority for Hume, and he feels the players will have to work really hard for it.
Up next, they will have to face NorthEast United FC at home. They have already lost against the Highlanders this season, and will now be seeking vengeance at home.
"Obviously the plan is to get into the semis. We're confident of our abilities and have to put it into our matches. We've only played two games at home. We should have had six points after the last game. So, we owe ourselves and the fans one. Therefore, we're looking forward to the NorthEast game," said Hume.
