Dundee 3 Dumbarton 0

Take away the second half ‘goal’ debate. Pretend it never happened.

Because even if you do that, you’ve still got an afternoon riddled with controversy – and Dumbarton going down to a hugely unlucky defeat against Dundee.

Peter MacDonald hit a double either side of Kevin McBride’s goal for the Dark Blues as Sons were hit by a string of dubious refereeing calls for the second time against the Dens Park club.

The one which generated the most frustration was when Garry Fleming’s ‘goal’, which would have made it 1-1, was deemed by referee Brian Colvin and assistant Graham Chambers not to have crossed the line.

That was hard to judge from behind the goal but the visiting players were adamant. What was not difficult to notice was that Sons missed out on their share of the key decisions.

All far too familiar from the last meeting of the sides, in October, when Dundee won 4-1 with more than a little luck from controversial refereeing calls.

They say that fortune evens itself out over the season. If that is the case, Sons are due a huge slice when Dundee return to Dumbarton on Saturday, March 22.

The first clearcut chance of the match came as a result of poor officiating. Paul McGinn kept the ball in play on the touchline and the assistant referee kept his flag down – only for Colvin, in the centre of the field, to award a throw-in.

That resulted in a cross from the left which was headed towards goal by Martin Boyle only for Jamie Ewings to save. MacDonald also forced a stop from the Sons keeper before the visitors found a way to goal.

Bryan Prunty got to a slack passback ahead of the home keeper, with Fleming picking up the loose ball. However, his shot was cleared off the line by Declan Gallagher with the keeper stranded.

Soon afterwards Mitchel Megginson saw a shot deflected wide, with Prunty’s header from the resulting corner being turned over the bar.

Jordan Kirkpatrick also tested the keeper with a shot that was pushed off target, while at the other end Jim McAlister found space in the centre but shot over the bar.

Dundee knew they were in a game – and it’s worth guessing that at half time, manager John Brown would have given them a stern team talk.

Because it had taken effect within two minutes of the restart. The home side passed their way into the Dumbarton area and MacDonald made no mistake with an angled finish.

Just three minutes later came the afternoon’s real flashpoint. McGinn’s cross from the right found Fleming in the area and following his header, the celebrations began on and off the pitch.

But they were cut short when, to many people’s astonishment, referee Colvin and assistant Chambers ruled no goal and allowed play to continue.

Minutes later another assist from McGinn was cleared off the line and from the loose ball, Prunty’s shot was turned over. Shortly afterwards a volley from the edge of the area by Mitchel Megginson had exactly the same outcome.

Even with 28 minutes left, and only one goal’s deficit, Sons’ luck looked to already be out.

A further 19 minutes passed, with both teams withstanding pressure, before Dundee clinched it. McBride was given a lot of space on the edge of the area but there was no doubt about the quality of his finish which had Ewings well beaten.

And with a minute left MacDonald, looking well offside, slammed home Carlo Monti’s low ball from the left.

Sons have played 180 minutes this season against the team that spent the 2012/13 campaign in the top flight and are still waiting for their first break. Maybe in 2014.

Dundee: Letheren; Irvine, Lockwood, Riley (Conroy 37), McBride (O’Donnell 90), MacDonald, Rae, Benedictus, Gallagher, McAlister, Boyle (Monti 69). Subs: Gibson, Dyer, McIntosh, Kerr. Booked: Boyle.

Dumbarton: Ewings; McGinn, Graham, Barry, Turner (McDougall 69), Gilhaney, Megginson (Nish 73), Prunty, Fleming (K Smith 81), Kirkpatrick, Linton. Subs: Grindlay, S Smith, McKerracher, Phinn. Booked: Graham.

Referee: Brian Colvin.

Crowd: 4,489.

Boxing Day blanks

HAD the league fixture computer had its way, Dumbarton would be playing Hamilton Accies today.

Boxing Day – a date which used to rank as one of the highlights of the football calendar when the fixtures are released. At many levels of football across the UK, it still does, with full cards taking place in the SPFL Premiership and in all four divisions down south. There are also games in Leagues One and Two in Scotland.

However, all five of the SPFL Championship fixtures scheduled for today, including Sons’ 2-1 win against the Accies, were moved to the previously blank date of Saturday, December 21.

The switch continued Sons’ wait for a match to take place on December 26, which has lasted since a freezing cold day at Ayr United’s Somerset Park in 2005. Winger Craig Conway, now a Scotland international, opened the scoring in a 2-0 win for the home side where Sons also had Scott Bannerman sent off.

Since then, fixtures have been scheduled for Boxing Day, but a combination of moving dates and bad weather has led to the fans staying at home, at least most of the time, the day after Christmas.

Two years ago Sons players, officials and fans did manage to get out of the house on Boxing Day, travelling to East Fife, only to find that the game was called off due to high winds.

The weather also had a say on scheduled Boxing Day fixtures during the two big freezes at the turn of the decade. A trip to Clyde in 2009, and a home fixture against Forfar a year later, both bit the dust in the snow, ice and arctic temperatures.

Games placed on December 26 in the original fixture calendar have also been moved to alternative dates by choice. Last year the scheduled match at home to Raith Rovers was switched to Saturday, December 22 and then called off.

It turned out to be the game where Jim Lister scored a hat-trick in a 4-2 win for Dumbarton when it was played in late March.

In 2007 a home game against East Stirlingshire was arranged for Boxing Day. Absurdly it was moved to Tuesday, December 18, when a crowd of only 303 saw Dumbarton beat the Shire 3-1.

The previous year, Sons’ Boxing Day trip to Montrose was brought forward to the previous Saturday, December 23. It turned out to be a pre-Christmas treat as they blitzed their way to a 5-0 win.

Prior to that, Dumbarton’s last scheduled Boxing Day fixture had been in 2000, at home to Peterhead. As well as being only the third competitive match to be played at the Rock, it was also the Blue Toon’s first ever visit to Dumbarton.

However, it too was moved to Saturday, December 23 and the Aberdeenshire club became the first away team to win at Sons’ new stadium with a 3-1 victory.

Before the 2005 trip to Ayr, Sons’ last Boxing Day action had been in 1996 in a 2-2 draw with Stranraer at Boghead Park.

Jim Meechan and Lee Sharp’s goals earned a point which could have been crucial to Sons’ chances of survival. In the end it wasn’t, as the Blues stayed up ahead of Dumbarton on the very last day of the season.

Which leaves one last question – Sons’ previous victory on Boxing Day? Two years earlier, in 1994, as part of a promotion-winning season. East Fife were visitors to Boghead and were left in the festive dumps with a 4-0 win for Sons. Meechan was also on target in that game along with Martin Mooney, Martin McGarvey and Hugh Ward.

The club’s wait for a Boxing Day victory is now going to extend to at least 20 years as a result of having no action today. However, victory at Dundee on Saturday will be just as welcome a tonic for any post-Christmas hangovers.

Dumbarton 2 Hamilton Accies 1

SPFL Championship; Bet Butler Stadium; Saturday, December 21 2013

So here it is. Merry Christmas.

Everybody, at least of a Dumbarton persuasion, was having fun courtesy of Andy Graham’s scrambled winner against his former club, Hamilton Accies with 20 minutes to go.

It was the goal that gave Sons a deserved victory over the league leaders, with Garry Fleming having opened the scoring only for the visitors to equalise through James Keatings.

The victory was also their second league triumph at the Rock this season – and as well as lifting Dumbarton six points clear of ninth-placed Cowdenbeath, it also ended a mini festive jinx.

Before Saturday, 2010 had been the last year when Sons had won their final fixture before Christmas – against Ayr United on November 10.

Anyone looking for a December victory to conclude the pre-festive programme needed to go back to two days before Christmas 2006, when Montrose were hammered 5-0 at Links Park.

But an end to that run always looked likely against Hamilton. While Accies were on top for spells, Sons were never far off the pace themselves and took their chances when they came along.

This time last year, the presents were ripped open with Sons sitting on only five points at the bottom of the league. Now they are on 21 and Saturday’s visit to Dundee – now the league leaders themselves – can’t come quickly enough.

There was an early red alert when Ally Crawford hit the bar from 30 yards for Accies, but on 11 minutes came the ultimate response from the home side.

Mitchel Megginson’s low ball found Fleming on the edge of the area and the striker continued his fine run of form this season by drilling home his fifth goal of the campaign.

Almost immediately Anthony Andreu was next to go for goal for the visitors but Sons keeper Jamie Ewings did well to turn his effort away. The same player then wove through the home defence but his shot from the edge of the area was off target.

However, it wasn’t all one way traffic. It was then Sons’ turn to hit the woodwork as Scott Linton’s effort from 20 yards was deflected on to the crossbar and over.

All this within the first 18 minutes. It was exciting stuff.

But 15 minutes later, with Accies’ Darian MacKinnon and Sons’ Bryan Prunty having traded near misses, the visitors got the equaliser.

Mickael Antoine-Curier sent over a low ball from the right hand side and ex-Celtic man Keatings was waiting at the back post to score his third goal against Sons this season.

Megginson almost put the home side back in front straight away but his six-yard shot was deflected behind.

Accies were on top of the early part of the second half but didn’t get that close to taking the lead. The nearest they came was a Crawford shot which Ewings blocked with his legs.

And with 20 minutes left Sons, having held on, got the break they had earned. Fleming, having already scored one goal, set up another as he played the ball across for skipper Graham to bundle home.

Now it was time for all hands on deck for one last resistance. Or was it?

As it turned out, the home side could have added more goals in the final stages. Colin Nish and then Jordan Kirkpatrick both shot over the bar with chances to seal the points.

Then substitute Steven McDougall broke through on goal, hoping for his second goal in as many games. However, his narrow angled drive trundled narrowly wide.

It didn’t matter. It was the last kick of the match. Sons had won.

Dumbarton: Ewings; McGinn, Graham, Barry, Gilhaney, Megginson, Prunty (McDougall 85), Fleming (Nish 72), Kirkpatrick, Linton, H Murray (S Smith 89). Subs: Grindlay, K Smith, McKerracher, Phinn. Booked: H Murray.

Hamilton Accies: Cuthbert; Gordon, Hendrie, Canning, Gillespie, Keatings, Crawford, MacKinnon (Longridge 83), Andreu, Tena, Curier (Ryan 83). Subs: Currie, McGrath, Docherty, Brophy, Kilday. Booked: Antoine-Curier, MacKinnon.

Referee: John McKendrick.

Crowd: 642.

Aaron is well travelled

Ireland on Thursday. Scotland on Friday. Northeast England on Saturday for a football match – without having trained through the week.

Throw in a wedding across the Irish Sea and you have the itinerary of on-loan Dumbarton defender Aaron Barry in the build-up to the weekend’s Scottish Cup tie away to Berwick Rangers.

The centre half took part in the 3-1 victory at Shielfield Park after a hectic journey across the water and back again for a wedding on Thursday, November 28.

Having flown into Glasgow the next day, he then faced the three-hour journey to Berwick with the rest of the Sons squad.

But despite his travels, the centre half had little difficulty in helping his team secure victory across the border.

That was followed by Wednesday night’s 1-1 draw at home to Alloa – where Aaron’s header in injury time went narrowly wide.

He said: “I hadn’t trained all week before the game but the Berwick game turned out well for us. I had no problems.

“Then on Wednesday we had to take a point but it would have been good to get all three. We felt we deserved them.

“We felt we were the better team and created chances, including my own late in the game which shanked off my head.

“I thought it was in at first but it ended up going wide and we had to settle for a share of the points.

“Some would say that it’s a fair result. The conditions played a part, especially in the first half when we were playing into the wind.

“Alloa came and defended well. We just have to perform a quick turnaround and get ready to face Queen of the South on Saturday.”

Aaron, on loan until next month from Sheffield United, feels that the match with Queens is one that Sons can win, ahead of facing all of the SPFL Championship’s top three in consecutive games.

And he revealed that Bryan Prunty, who scored an overhead kick to equalise against Alloa, doesn’t just score spectacular goals in matches – he saves them for the training pitch as well.

“Bryan  did great to score the overhead kick to equalise for us.

“I saw the one he scored at Livingston last season – and he puts a few of those away in training as well!

“It was a tough game against Queen of the South when we visited Dumfries in September. We had to defend for a lot of the game.

“They are a strong team and there are no easy games in the division. We will have to play well.

“The standard of the league has been good in the time I have been here. Some days it can be hard with the travelling I have to do but I am enjoying it.”

Another Prunty stunner earns a point

FIRST Stenhousemuir. Then Livingston. Now Alloa.

Bryan Prunty is getting rather good at this overhead kick lark, isn’t he?

The striker’s third bicycle goal for Dumbarton, all of them within less than two years, gave them a share of the points in a scrappy match against Alloa.

Even though the rain only fell during the interval, a strong wind influenced the game all night, and had a hand in Kevin Cawley’s opener for the Wasps on 24 minutes.

The visitors were strong at the back, as they have been renowned for all season – but with 13 minutes to go Prunty produced another moment of genius.

It wasn’t as spectacular as the chest-controlled finish at Livingston in February but had no less importance – and after struggling to test the visiting keeper for most of the night, Sons were level.

They could have gone on and won it had Aaron Barry’s injury time header found the right side of the post but a share of the points was the fairest result in a game played 11 days behind schedule.

Newly-promoted Alloa are making a real mockery of their tag of favourites to go down and although Sons have now taken four points out of six against them, they have had to work for every one.

Sons started well but neither Mitchel Megginson nor Chris Turner could get close enough to goal with early efforts.

The pace did not last and on 24 minutes, Alloa’s Cawley cut into the area from the left hand side. Whether he meant it, his swerving ball had keeper Jamie Ewings beaten and Alloa in front.

Prunty was close to equalising eight minutes later but his low shot from Mark Gilhaney’s corner was cleared off the line – by ex-Dumbarton defender Ben Gordon.

However, indecision at the back nearly allowed Alloa to extend their lead, with Stephen Simmons shooting straight at the keeper after being set up by Cawley.

Gilhaney then had a chance when he found himself in space in the area to meet Jordan Kirkpatrick’s low ball but his shot went over.

Half time was greeted by a thunderstorm, with the already-biting wind added to by heavy rain. Remarkably, by the time the teams emerged for the second half the elements had subsided.

Kirkpatrick and then Scott Linton had 20-yard efforts in quick succession which missed the target before Turner blasted just wide from the edge of the area.

But there was then another narrow escape from a Simmons effort, with the Alloa midfielder hitting the post.

And with 13 minutes remaining, advantage was taken. Gilhaney sent a ball over from the right side of the area and Prunty acrobatically fired home.

In an exciting ending Cawley dragged a shot narrowly wide while Kirkpatrick’s free kick was deflected towards goal only for the keeper to clutch it under the crossbar.

Then, in the time added on, Barry got his head to another Gilhaney assist. His header looked on course for the net but finished up going just wide.

The result moved Sons back above Livingston into sixth place. Victory at home to Queen of the South on Saturday will bring them level on points with fifth-placed Alloa.

Then it’s all of the top three of Raith Rovers, Hamilton Accies and Dundee, with only the Accies at home. It’s about to get serious.

Teams and officials

Dumbarton: Ewings; McGinn, Graham, Barry, Turner, Gilhaney, Megginson (Nish 64), Prunty, Kirkpatrick, Linton, Murray (McDougall 73). Subs: Grindlay, S Smith, K Smith, McKerracher, Phinn.

Alloa Athletic: Bain; Doyle, Meggatt, Gordon, Marr, Simmons, Cawley, McCord, Kirk (McManus 60), Holmes, Tiffoney. Subs: McDowall, Young, Ferns, Robertson, Salmon, Creaney.

Hard work earns a fifth round place

JOB done.

In two words and seven letters, that neatly sums up Dumbarton’s progress to the last 16 of the Scottish Cup for the first time in 30 years.

For 22 nervous minutes at Berwick they looked like being victims of the magic of the competition, with Lee Currie’s opening goal after seven minutes giving the home side the lead.

But after Bryan Prunty’s equaliser from the penalty spot the outcome was never in doubt. A fantastic goal by Mitchel Megginson sent them in ahead at half time and Scott Linton’s first goal for the club sealed it.

The flair of the second half display at Livingston, in Sons’ previous match, was not in as much evidence on a tough Shielfield Park pitch. This victory was more workmanlike against a determined, but toothless League Two side ranked 20 places below Dumbarton.

Sons took their time to get going – but the sight of Prunty’s spot kick hitting the net was just what they needed.

And when Linton scored the third 10 minutes after half time, Monday’s fifth round draw could safely be looked forward to. There was no way back for Berwick, although they kept battling to the end.

As strange as it sounds for a first half with three goals, the opening 45 minutes saw little else in the way of goalmouth action at either end.

Aaron Barry’s involvement in an aerial challenge on the corner of the area was enough to give Berwick a free kick. That may have been debatable but what was not in doubt was the quality of the execution by Currie, who had keeper Jamie Ewings well beaten.

Attacking up the slope in the first half, Sons saw more of the ball early on but found the home defence hard to get past. In the end it took the award of a penalty to get them back level when Stephen Tulloch handled Mark Gilhaney’s cross from the right.

While Chris Turner scored from the spot at Livingston, this time it was left to Prunty to step up and do the needful.

The contest rumbled on as half time approached but Sons continued to step up their domination.

And two minutes from the interval Megginson, who seems to specialise in spectacular goals this season, found the net in style again. There seemed little danger when he intercepted a loose pass in the Berwick midfield. Seconds later he was on the edge of the penalty area and blasting home a left foot strike.

Then, 10 minutes into the second half, he turned provider to give Sons one foot in the fifth round. His flick-on from a through ball was all Linton needed to get into the area and fire home an angled drive.

Ewings was on form a minute later when Berwick’s Dean Hoskins fired in a drive from distance which the Sons keeper turned over.

Sons were close to a fourth goal after that when Kevin Smith, making his first start since scoring against Dundee United in August, headed Gilhaney’s cross against the post.

With 10 minutes remaining Colin Nish looked to have added to the tally only to have his ‘goal’ ruled out for a handling offence. He then saw a header from Jordan Kirkpatrick’s cross saved.

Kirkpatrick could have notched the fourth himself in stoppage time after a neat passing move but his effort was turned off target by the keeper at his near post.

But it didn’t matter. Hearts, Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Ross County and Partick Thistle don’t have anything to look forward to when the last 16 is drawn on Monday. Sons do.

Teams and officials

Berwick Rangers: Bald; Jacobs, Hoskins, Dunlop, Tulloch, Janczyk (Dalziel 60), Currie, Notman, Lavery (Morris 67), Gielty, Gray (O’Brien 70). Subs: Miller, Fairbairn, Carse, O’Connor. Booked: Tulloch, Currie, Gielty.

Dumbarton: Ewings; McGinn, Barry, Graham, Linton, Gilhaney (McDougall 81), Turner, Kirkpatrick, Prunty (Nish 72), K Smith, Megginson (McKerracher 85). Subs: Murray, Phinn, S Smith, Grindlay.

Referee: Des Roache.

Crowd: 406