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After a strenuous international break, ATK players and staff could finally rest easy on the flight back to Kolkata last night, after a superb performance was rewarded with a 2-1 victory in the nation’s capital.

Much had been made about the two-time winners’ ‘worst ever’ start to an ISL season, exaggerated due to the unseasonably early international break this time around, and their failure to find the net in an entire two games.

Shock horror.

And while the hosts’ have every right to feel aggrieved after Noussair El Maimouni’s shove on Adrià Carmona was left unpunished by referee Raktim Shah, the clinical and composed manner in which Steve Coppell’s side finished off that winning move was befitting of a performance which merited the three points.

A performance that will also silence the critics, at least for the moment, as their attention turns to fellow strugglers Chennaiyin, also looking for their first win of the season against NorthEast United tonight.

For ATK however, the next few days will offer welcome relief from the spotlight shone since India’s respectable scoreless draw against China last week, and offer an opportunity to build some momentum heading into Sunday’s derby against Jamshedpur.

That they broke the scoring duck will have been satisfying after over 200 Season 5 minutes without a goal, but not as satisfying as the manner in which it was crafted. Summer arrival Balwant Singh seizing on Manuel Lanzarote’s well weighted through-ball, before cutting onto his right and curling a sumptuous effort inside the far post.

More satisfying still for boss Coppell, was the manner in which his side consolidated that early strike, after an opening two games which have exposed some of ATK’s defensive frailties, away from all the talk of their woes up front.

Plenty more to do if Delhi’s equaliser is anything to go by, however. Pronay Halder’s water-weak attempts to clear a deep Narayan Das corner allowed Rana Gharami pick his spot in heading the ball back across the box, and with a gaggle of visiting defenders ball watching, Pritam Kotal nipped in to undo all of Kolkata’s excellent work, reinvigorating Delhi.

A Dynamos side that theoretically could have come away with three points themselves, if only for Nandhakumar Sekar’s inability to keep Chhangte Lallianzuala’s cutback down, following Arindam Bhattacharja’s smart stop to deny a Marti Crespi drive from the edge of the box.

In truth, however, that’s as good as it got for Josep Gombau’s men, who will be scratching their heads at how they struggled so much to push the issue at home against a wounded ATK side, despite having the majority of the possession.

For ATK, meanwhile, the work begins again soon ahead of Sunday’s day trip to Jharkhand, but this afternoon offers them an opportunity to do something they’ve ill-afforded since this season began.

Read the papers.

Delhi Dynamos: Dorronsoro; P Kotal (S Manchong 87), Crespí, R Gharami, N Das; S Sarangi (Adrià Carmona 61), V Rai; N Sekar (R Fernandes 66), R Mihelič, L Chhangte; A Kaluđerović.

ATK: A Bhattacharya; A Khongjee, Gerson, J Johnson, R Lallawmawma; Éverton Santos, P Halder; K Thatal (J Rane 70), M Lanzarote (A Bikey 89), B Singh; K Uche (N El Maimouni 81).

Referee: R Shah.

Kevin Galvin

@kjgalvin93