GK1Chris Fahey   
 RB2Conor McKenzie   
 LB3Richard Kirwan   
 CB4Jordan Marshall   
 CB5Greg Pascazio   
Off60CM6Gavin Lachlan   
 RW7Stephen O'Neill   
Off70CM8Craig Murray   
 CF9Sean BrownScorer  
 CM10Jamie Waddell   
Off60LW11Michael Wallace   
On60 12Fraser Sheridan   
  13Trialist   
  14Andy Hunter   
  15Jeff Fergus   
On60 16Jordan Pirrie   
On70 17Craig Holmes   
  18Stephen Kerr   
 

01/12/2017  |  League

Cumbernauld Colts   1  v  2  Caledonian Braves

COLTS endured a Friday night to forget at Broadwood as they narrowly lost out to Edusport Academy in the Lowland League.
Sean Brown gave the Cumbernauld men the perfect start early in the game but Louis Babel deservedly levelled for the visitors just before the break.

Sofianne Zeghdane then struck what proved to be the winner for Edusport early in the second period, but Colts missed a host of second half chances as management duo James Orr and Craig McKinlay were left frustrated on the touchline.

Colts had started brightly looking to build on recent impressive performances against league leaders BSC where they picked up four points from a possible six.
And the hosts took the lead in 8 minutes when Brown capitalised on a defensive mix up between defender Aiden Wilson and keeper Ilies Belkacem, and the big striker slid the ball into the empty net from a tight angle.
But the visitors almost hit back in 15 minutes when striker Connor Higgins was given space and Chris Fahey had to be at his best to block Higgins powerful drive.
And Colts were fortunate to survive another scare in 24 minutes when Edusport strung together a great sweeping move which resulted in Grant Nelson rattling Fahey's cross bar from 20 yards.
Colts then had a couple of half chances to extend their lead with Brown just a yard short from getting on the end of good crosses on both occasions.
Then the visitors really should have equalised in 35 minutes when a cross from Maxime Oulaitoh found Babel in acres of space inside the six yard box, but the striker headed wide with the goal at his mercy.
And Edusport were rewarded for their persistence a minute before the break when Oulaitoh & Babel combined again to grab an equaliser for the visitors.
Oulaitoh once again found space on the left and thumped a powerful shot towards goal which Fahey could only parry and Babel was on hand to knock the ball into the empty net from close range.

Matters went from bad to worse for Colts a minute after the restart when a poor defensive clearance afforded Zeghdane space on the left, and the midfielder sent a deep cross into the box which eluded Fahey and the ball ended up in the back of the net.
Colts responded well to the setback and Brown almost equalised in 49 minutes when he got onto the end of Michael Wallace's cross but his close range effort was blocked by Belkacem.

The Cumbernauld men went even closer on the hour mark when substitute�s Fraser Sheridan and Craig Holmes combined for the later to thump a powerful shot towards goal, but the ball deflected off Brown and went over the bar.
Then in 65 minutes Sheridan went agonisingly close when his back post header from Conor McKenzie's cross struck the bar and post as the home side quickly became the team passing up the scoring opportunities in front of goal.
And 71 minutes midfielder Gavin Lachlan thought he had levelled the score when he hit a stinging drive towards goal from 30 yards, but the visitors keeper Belkacem produced an outstanding one handed save tipping the ball over the bar with the ball heading for the top corner.

Colts continued to put pressure on the Eduspsort defence in the closing stages but failed to find the goal they so desperately craved to get back into the game, and in the end the missed chances cost Colts the points.
Colts will now look to bounce back from this recent setback when they entertain Hawick Royal Albert this coming Saturday at Broadwood.

Cumbernauld Colts; Fahey, McKenzie, Kirwin, Marshall, Pascazio, Lachlan, O�Neill, Waddell, Brown, Murray, Wallace. Subs; Sheridan, Pirrie, Hunter, Kerr, Holmes, Fergus, Running (GK).