Collingwood vice-captain Steele Sidebottom has revealed that a half-time joke from skipper Scott Pendlebury helped get the Pies back on track during a performance coach Nathan Buckley labelled the Pies’ worst of the season.

Buckley’s side held the Western Bulldogs at bay to record a nine-point win at Marvel Stadium, but the Pies coach was highly critical of his team’s performance, suggesting that it was a considerably poorer showing than some of Collingwood’s other narrow wins this year.

Comic relief: Scott Pendlebury helped lighten the mood as the Pies struggled to deal with a tenacious Bulldogs side. Credit:AAP

It came at a cost too, with the Pies bracing for a period without important defender Jeremy Howe, who hurt his calf during the second quarter.

Buckley refused to blame the lacklustre performance on the distraction of an eventful week at the Holden Centre, during which young gun Jaidyn Stephenson was suspended for the rest of the home and away season for betting on Magpies matches.