SWINDON Shock chief David Colclough hopes his troops have turned a corner after snatching a second win of the season at home to Cardiff City.

After a series of enforced breaks and defeats to their debut season in the National League Division Three South, Shock were without a win since Saturday, October 14.

During their last three outings, the New College side fell just short of the mark, losing their trio of fixtures in the final quarter.

However, going into the halfway stage of the season, and with the mid-season break just around the corner, Colclough was relieved to register a 88-84 victory over Cardiff, especially after the visitors piled on late pressure.

“We jumped up early in that game. We were in full control but then they kept chipping and chipping at it,” said the player-coach, whose troops are second-from-bottom in the table.

“Then we thought ‘oh my gosh’ we are in that situation again, and we had to just keep our heads straight because we’ve been in that situation before, so we just gutted it out.

“We would like to think that is a turning point in our season. All the teams are beating each other this season so we are still in the hunt.

“Everybody said we need to take care of Cardiff, get everyone fit in the break and then see what we can do in the second half of the year.”

Long-term absentee Spencer Wells is nearing full fitness after a problem in his lower back, while Colclough also believes the break would do Antonio Wilburn the world of good, once they get Saturday’s home clash with Cardiff Met Archers out of the way.

The point-guard, who stacked up 20 points in their four-point win last time out, is the club’s solitary ball-handler barring Colclough, who predominantly sees himself as a coach.

“As a coach, it is hard for me to see when I should put myself into the game to calm things down a little bit,” he said.

“I can give Antonio a break because he does a lot of work at point-guard, I’m the only other guard on the team, so when he is playing 40 minutes, he is tired at the end of the game. I can go in and give him a breather, to just hold the fort for a couple of minutes.

“Chris Cole turned up to training for the first time in a while, he has got to make that up to the rest of the team.

“He has got to come to terms with that, whereas the rest of the guys are dedicated to what we are trying to do.”