Caledonian Braves 3-0 Cumbernauld Colts: Zac Butterworth milks the chance to get Braves win

In miserable wet weather, Braves were goalless at half-time before a tactical switch by manager Ricky Waddell inspired the Alliance Park men to go on and win 3-0.

Braves finally made their dominance count after a floated free-kick was headed back across goal by Jack Duncan. Luke Main was first to react and sent the ball into the net to put Braves 1-0 up.

Braves got their second goal in the 70th minute. Zac Butterworth drove at the opposition full back before cutting inside and firing low into the net.

Shortly after that goal, Braves all but killed the game off. Cameron Breadner got on the end of a Butterworth cutback to convert and make it 3-0 to the home side.

In the dying stages of the match, Cumbernauld Colts’ right back got a second yellow card for a late challenge on Rhys Armstrong, summing up the away side’s afternoon and leaving his team with 10 men.

“I just think that our mentality was a bit better in the second half,” boss Waddell told Braves TV.

“We went two deeper in terms of tactically. I felt Marc Kelly going wide, coming into spaces, he's very good coming into that sort of area.

"I felt we weren’t getting good quality up to the top three at all and I felt our two midfielders were a wee bit high.

"So we changed that round and does it make the difference? Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t.

"But I think what it did was it gave us more space and it gave us an opportunity for Lewis McLear, being a proper number 10 to go and press their two centre backs from there.”

On his team’s overall display, Waddell added: “The whole group were fantastic today. Once we got the goal we settled down.

"I said to them at half-time: ‘Settle down, play your football’ and we just needed that goal to settle us down.”

Braves were at home to Broomhill in the league after we went to press on Tuesday. This Saturday, they visit Rangers B in the league, KO 3pm.