BEN WiIliams admits that the “best team won” after his current Colchester United side tumbled to a 1-0 defeat at his former club Carlisle on a windswept Saturday.

BEN WiIliams admits that the “best team won” after his current Colchester United side tumbled to a 1-0 defeat at his former club Carlisle on a windswept Saturday.

Keeper Williams was the U’s man-of-the-match, making a couple of excellent saves to prevent the Cumbrians from running away with the game at Brunton Park. He also dealt well with a succession of crosses in the swirling wind.

However, the 29-year-old had no answer to Paul Thirlwell’s 22nd minute winner, which condemned the U’s to back-to-back defeats for the first time since August.

“Conditions were difficult, but we can’t make excuses like that,” insisted Williams.

“We didn’t create enough chances and I think the best team won on the day.

“If you pardon the pun, Carlisle weathered the storm quite well.

“They dealt with the conditions well in the first half, scored on the break, and that knocked the momentum out of us.

“But we played a lot better in the second half and were more positive.”

Meanwhile, Carlisle match-winner Paul Thirwell insisted: “In terms of the wind, that’s one of the worst we’ve played in.

“When Colchester got a corner, they would get four or five on the trot because we just couldn’t get the ball away, in the wind.

“But the first goal was always going to be massive.”