Visakhapatnam, Sep 4 : Bengal Warriorz suffered their first defeat of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 12, going down 45-36 against Puneri Paltan on Wednesday. Despite a strong performance from captain Devank Dalal, who scored 17 raid points and completed a Super 10, they were unable to recover after a few costly errors as Puneri Paltan capitalised and won against the young Warriorz squad.

Reflecting on the result, head coach Naveen Kumar admitted that small mistakes proved to be decisive. He said, 'The match was very close in the first half, and we were trailing behind by only a few points. But we made small mistakes which kept piling on and added pressure, eventually costing us the match.'

Naveen also pointed out that his young squad is still learning to handle high-pressure moments but will grow stronger as the season progresses.

'We have young players both in attack and defence, which is why in such matches, it could be difficult for them to cope with the pressure. As the season goes ahead, they will learn how to bear the pressure in such situations. The players are improving well, and with Devank leading them, they are highly motivated and ready for all challenges.'

While the result didn't go their way, Devank Dalal once again impressed with his consistency and fighting spirit on the mat. The captain, however, admitted that a key moment just before half-time shifted the momentum.

'It was going well, I was getting the points, but I made a mistake and got caught right before half-time, which is where I feel we went wrong in terms of raiding,' he said.

Devank also credited Puneri Paltan's experience as a factor in the result. 'Puneri Paltan have a set squad with players playing and practising together for a long time, whereas ours is a new and young team, so that was definitely a factor which affected today's result. We will learn from our mistakes and work hard together in training to improve as a group.'

/IANS