Cumbernauld Colts 1-4 Caledonian Braves: Gaffer Ricky Waddell relieved to win after unimpressive first half

Rhys Armstrong shot Braves ahead early on before Colts equalised with a looping shot by Sean Winter to make it 1-1 at half-time.

But, after Colts had lost Dominic Slattery to a straight red card after a hard tackle on Lewis McLear, Jack Duncan’s double and a second goal for Armstrong earned Braves the spoils to put them 11th in the table with 24 points from 16 matches.

“I didn’t think the first half was a brilliant performance,” Waddell told Braves TV.

"I thought we struggled, we didn’t play well.

"But we kept in the game. We had to call on Chris Henry a couple of times with a good save.

"We got cut open a couple of times and they didn’t take advantage of that.

"We started to slowly get into the game but I just thought we were loose in possession of the ball.

"It was never a possession type of football day. The wind was blustery, blowing at different directions and the game was kind of towsy.

"What I said to them in there was a poor team gets beat in the first half. But they won the game in the first half because they grafted, they defended the box, they did all the dirty stuff relatively well without performing well on the ball.

"But we still looked a threat, even at that point as well. So I’m really delighted with the three points today, really happy with that just due to those factors.”

On his two-goal heroes, Waddell added: “Rhys grew into the game really well and it was a different type of game, a game that he wasn’t controlling in the middle of the park.

"He had to play for second balls and scraps, anticipate things and use those mental attributes in that type of game and in fairness in the second half he really did that.

"I was delighted for big Jack Duncan as well.”

Braves were at home to Civil Service Strollers in the league after we went to press on Tuesday.

This Saturday Braves make a league trip to Gretna 2008, KO 3pm.