Cumbernauld Colts hope for third time lucky against Spartans

Colts went down 3-0 to the Edinburgh side in a Lowland League match in the capital last Saturday.

But McKinlay, while admitting that Spartans just about deserved their win, said he felt the margin of victory was harsh on his players.

Spartans had turned Colts over when winning 4-0 when the sides met at Broadwood in September and the Colts boss says his team showed last week they had learned from - and improved since - that encounter.

He said: “We were certainly better than we were the last time we played them.

“We went with a game plan and for the most part we executed that well.

“They had a lot of the ball, as we knew they would, but we created four or five good chances. But when you don’t take them you run the risk of being punished.

“They scored their first goal with virtually their first shot of the game and the second came when they broke upfield from our corner.

“We should have dealt with that better but I thought to go in two goals down at half-time was harsh on us.

“But we go in again this week and hopefully we’ve learned one of two things which can help us.”