Dumbarton Football Club - Sons of the Rock 1872

Dumbarton (0) v Stenhousemuir (1)

Saturday 15^th January 2011, Kick Off 3pm

Irn Bru SFL Division Two

IN A CRUNCH game against fellow drop-zone rivals Stenhousemuir, Dumbarton looked to have taken at least a point from a hard fought encounter, but the visitors pinched the game 1-0 with virtually the final kick of the match.

Scott Dalziel got the decisive goal, which came on the counter attack after a missed opportunity by Sons.

Home interim manager Alan Adamson said: "It is a hard one to take. I don't think we deserved to lose and on reflection a draw would have been fair. To lose it like that is terrible but we need to take it on the chin and push on. We missed chances again, but when you are bottom of the league, these things happen."

The initial pressure came from the visitors. Eventual Man of the Match Stephen Grindlay pulled off a fine save within the first few minutes, before Sons regrouped and began to push back.

In conditions that made it difficult for both sides, a number of chances went begging at each end. Grindlay was called into action again on several occasions, as he laboured behind an anxious-looking defence.

However, on 22 minutes Derek Carcary floated a crafty ball in on the Stenhousemuir goal from outside the area and was within inches of the target while 'keeper Chris McCluskey looked on.

As the second half got underway Dumbarton went on working hard and running determinedly at their opponents. But with ex-Sons man Stevie Murray drilling the crosses in, Stenhousemuir continued to look threatening when they countered fast upfield.

In a see-saw 45 minutes of football it seemed as if only a crucial error or a flash of inspiration was going to break the deadlock.

With minutes to go Mark Gilhaney almost produced the goods for Dumbarton with a fast, flashing drive from the edge of the area that produced an instinctive off-kilter stop from a flying McCluskey.

But after another desperate scramble in their area, Stenhousemuir broke away again and Scott Dalziel shattered Sons hearts with a goal that stole the game in the 90th minute. Moments later the referee's whistle ended another disappointing afternoon at SHS.

Stenhousemuir January 2011
Exclusive copyright photos by Donald Fullarton.

Prints can be ordered by emailing dfullarton@dumbartonfootballclub.com or by using the Contact Us facility on http://www.donaldfullartonphotos.co.uk

Derek Carcary and Andy Geggan break from midfield (9)

Keiran Brannan evades a tackle (15)

Derek Carcary charges forward (18)

Craig McLeish on the ball in the downpour (20)

Trialist Pat Walker breaks forward (22)

Alan Cook beats ex-Son Ross Clark (23)

Johnny Lindsay bursts into the penalty box (26)

Sub Mark Gilhaney on the attack (27)

Two defenders chase sub Ross Campbell (31)

Nicky Devlin holds off a defender (34)

 

Dumbarton: Grindlay; Devlin, Lindsay, Nugent, McNiff, Cook, Brannan (Gilhaney 46), Geggan, Carcary (Campbell 79), McLeish (McStay 60), Walker. Subs: Gordon, White. Booked: Cook, McStay.

Stenhousemuir: McCluskey; Lyle, Dickson, Thom, Smith, Thomson, Anderson (Motion 79), Clark, Williams (Plenderleith 70), Dalziel, Murray. Subs: Quinn, Scullion, Brown. Booked: Thom, Dickson, Williams.

Referee: John Beaton

Simon Barrow