SWINDON Shock coach David Colclough remained upbeat despite his depleted side being edged out 95-87 by Team Solent Kestrels II at the weekend.

The hosts were penalised for players standing up on the sidelines allowing the Hampshire side to claw their way back into the match with a number of free throws.

Colclough said: “It was a very controversial game. We had four players out and got a bit excited when we got up about 18 points.

“The official came over to us and said if anyone else stands up he’s going to call a technical foul for standing up.

“He called a technical foul and it gave them shots and possession and they made a comeback towards the end. We were down by one point and he called an unsportsmanlike foul which gives them two shots and the ball because someone said something which wasn’t vile or anything.

“The game ended finishing on one unsportsmanlike and five technical fouls, which allowed them to win by eight.”

However Colclough is counting the positives of another close result in the side’s maiden campaign in Division Three South.

With top scorers Daniel Cole on duty in the military and Spencer Wells recovering from a back injury picked up against Oxford Brookes University, Dominik Sajovic and Matt North filled the gap as the game’s leading scorers.

“Without having two of our leading scorers and both big men we played a really good game, so I’m quite happy with that part of it,” the coach said.

“Matt and Dominik really carried us. Matt had a cracking game, it was one of his breakout games.”

Shock have begun the season near the foot of the table but it is still early days and they have run the top teams close away from home.

“If we’d have won that game we’d be in the play-off positions, believe it or not, because the other teams lost,” Colclough said. “We’ve got this week off and we have bottom of the league in two weeks’ time coming to visit us, so that should allow us to heal up.”