10-goal thriller as late Braves fightback earns a draw

CALEDONIAN BRAVES....... 5 DALBEATTIE STAR.........................5

Caledonian Braves boss Ricky Waddell dubbed the 10-goal thriller against Dalbeattie Star “a basketball game” as his side rescued a point.

Neil McLaughlin opened the scoring at Alliance Park from close ranger before the visitors were handed an equaliser by some sloppy defending, as they gave away possession just yards from goal.

The Braves slipped two behind before Ross McNeil levelled the game again as his shot cannoned in off the post.

Defensive frailties allowed Star to extend their lead, scoring an impressive five at the Strathclyde Park ground.

Skipper McNeil got his second of the game from the penalty spot after 75 minutes, and a tidy finish from Ben Daily would make it four for the hosts.

Striker McNeil was denied his hat-trick by the offside flag, but they did level the game as veteran David Winters thumped the ball in the top corner from the edge of the box with seconds left on the clock.

The gaffer said: “It was a really strange match, it was a bit of a basketball game.

“When we went 1-0 up we should have been better, and defensively we made too many of the cardinal sins.

“We have let in too many goals in our last three home games and it is a concern.

“I’m not going to write it off as one of those crazy games, we need to make sure we improve across the board. Our form has dipped a bit and I don’t want to write it off as a freak result because we can be better.”