Review: Daegu FC and Gimcheon Sangmu share the spoils in relegation six-pointer

With a point separating 10th-placed Daegu FC and 11th-placed Gimcheon Sangmu in the table, both sides went head-to-head at Daegu's home and had to share the spoils in what was their third meeting of the season. The draw means that nothing has changed in the table but both sides continue to be embroiled in a relegation battle. K League United's Daegu FC correspondent Muyeol Jung reviews the game and reports what both managers had to say after the game at DGB Daegu Bank Park.

What happened?

It was a lively start to the first half for the hosts with Zeca and Pehna threatening Gimcheon's goal from the beginning. Halfway into the first half, the visitors came back strong and increased their possession. The best opportunity came on 44 minutes for Gimcheon as Lee Youngjae curled a freekick from the edge of the box but it was denied by the post.

The second half started in a scrappy manner with lots of physical contact between the two sides in midfield. K League debutant Park Yonghee could have had a dream start for the Sky Blues but his shot from close range was superbly denied by Gimcheon goalkeeper Kim Jeonghoon. After a period of an onslaught, the best chance fell to Daegu on 74 minutes as Zeca had a one-on-one chance. However, his efforts were frustratedly denied by Gimcheon's shot-stopper. In the remaining time, both sides pushed hard to find the winner but had to settle for a point in what was a genuine relegation six-pointer.

Post-match interview

Gimcheon Sangmu manager Kim Taewan

Q: How did you find the game?

A: I feel grateful to the players for their hard work. Most of them are newly recruited players, so they are not physically ready yet and out of form at the moment, but I believe they will get better and better. I am happy with a point away from home and a clean sheet.

Q: Gimcheon hit the woodwork four times in this game. You must be feeling so frustrated about them.

A: Of course I do. But I remain positive that we are very close to scoring goals. It won't be done overnight but we will prepare well to score one to two goals every game.

Q: There is a concern over depth in the squad as key players are expected to return to their parent clubs after their military service. What's the situation like?

A: We have only 18 outfield players in the squad, and we brought all of them available today. I will try to make the best of the ones we have at our disposal. The situation will gradually ease as the weather is getting cooler and the newly recruited players are getting fitter.

Q: Gimcheon goalkeeper Kim Jeonghoon made some superb saves and kept Daegu at bay. What do you think of his performance today?

A: I am really thankful to him. Those saves were incredibly brilliant. I was told that he is a good shot-stopper and today he proved it on the pitch. I will keep developing him along with Hwang Injae.

Daegu FC caretaker manager Choi Wonkwon

Q: How did you find the game?

A: In a situation where we had good preparation for this game and our players were motivated to get a win, it is utterly disappointing that we didn't get the result tonight. However, we still have a long way to go including games in the Final Round, we will forget about this game and move on to the next game.

Q: How did you feel about making your managerial debut at home?

A: I felt flustered as I suddenly took over the team following the departure of Alexandre Gama from Daegu. I have been with this club for a long time, so I don't feel any personal emotion about it, and the only thing that I am concerned about at the moment is that I feel sorry that we weren't able to pay back our fans with a victory at home.