Point proven to the Accies

JORDAN Kirkpatrick waited six years for a chance with Hamilton Accies before he was released.

It only took him 12 minutes to prove a point to them in a Dumbarton shirt.

The winger came off the bench to score Sons’ final goal in Saturday’s 4-1 victory at the Rock – a result which set the New Douglas Park club’s title challenge back.

That was his seventh goal of the season – and his second against Hamilton, for whom he made his first team debut aged only 16.

He was let go by the Accies in December 2012 and admitted he enjoyed the moment as his former side went down to defeat.

Jordan said: “It’s always good to prove a point against the team I wanted to progress at when I was younger.

“But to be honest, I’m happy just to be scoring goals, and to add another to my tally on Saturday.

“The first half was a close game with both teams going for it. Then in the first 20 minutes after the restart we were under pressure.

“However, we came through and did well in the later part of the game. We deserved to win the match.”

Having been on the receiving end of Sons’ abilities on Saturday, Hamilton will now be rooting for Jordan and his team-mates on Saturday.

Dumbarton travel to face Dundee with a score to settle, having not taken a point against the new league leaders this season.

Victory against Hamilton was sealed after the dismissal of Accies player/manager Alex Neil, but Jordan feels confident that even against 11 men, Sons can give the title race one last twist.

He continued: “The sending off was always going to have a big impact and it helped see us towards victory.

“Now we feel confident about going to Dundee. You never want to see a team celebrate winning the league title against you.

“We avoided that prospect against Hamilton on Saturday and will be out for victory at Dens Park.

“Dundee are the only team we haven’t taken a point from this season and it’s an opportunity to put that right.”

Only a win will do if Sons are to retain the slimmest chance of claiming a play-off place.

Even then, they would need Queen of the South to lose at Cowdenbeath – and a 12-goal deficit to be overturned in the process.

Jordan added: “I’d be happy with that, but it’s been a great season for the team.

“Everyone is on a high and it just shows what we can do with the players we’ve got.”

Happy to miss the spotlight

THERE will be thousands of spectators inside Dens Park on Saturday.

Apart from a few hundred Dumbarton fans and officials, they’ll all have their attention on Dundee.

But Scott Agnew reckons that will suit Sons just fine.

The midfielder started Saturday’s 4-1 rout against his former club Hamilton Accies, bending home a free kick from the right wing after 31 minutes.

The New Douglas Park club started that match at the top of the Championship table. Dundee are now there going into the season’s last day.

However, although Sons’ chances of fourth place are all but gone, Scott fancies his team’s chances of beating the league leaders for the second consecutive week.

He said: “You never know what can happen! Seriously, I don’t think it will happen for us to get in the top four now, but we are still involved with a game to go.

“It will be a great atmosphere at Dens Park and it’ll be a really good game to go and play in.

“All the attention will be on Dundee but to be honest I think that will suit Dumbarton. The focus was on Hamilton on Saturday and we went out and beat them.

“I’ll take a goal against any team but it was alright to get on the scoresheet against my former club!

“I wasn’t expecting it to go in. I just put it into a good area and I got lucky when it crept into the net.”

Scott’s opening goal was followed up by Colin Nish, Mitch Megginson and Jordan Kirkpatrick as Sons ran riot.

However, Queen of the South are still three points, and 12 goals, clear in fourth place after beating Livingston 2-0.

Whether the great play-off miracle happens or not, Scott and his team-mates can look back on the season with pride – and are hoping to be rewarded with new deals at the end of it all.

Scott added: “The boys did well to get the result. We’ve shown all season that we’re good enough and to win quite comfortably against the top team shows the ability of the squad we’ve got.

“We’ll now just look forward to getting back into training and look forward to facing Dundee.

“The thought of playing for new deals might be motivation for the boys and the manager will speak to us at the end of the season.”

Dumbarton 4 Hamilton Accies 1

THIS had been 10 years in the making.

A decade ago, Dumbarton missed out on promotion to the First Division on the last day of the season. Hamilton Accies went up instead, having beaten them 2-1 at New Douglas Park with a controversial late winner only weeks before.

But with the Accies chasing this season’s Championship title, this really was revenge – served up in style.

The sides were level at half time, with Scott Agnew putting Sons ahead before Jason Scotland levelled for the visitors. With Dundee and Falkirk both winning, Hamilton needed to go for goals in the second half.

However, after they were thwarted on several occasions, the screw was turned. Colin Nish headed Sons back in front before Hamilton player/manager Alex Neil was sent off for a headbutt with eight minutes left.

Within 60 seconds of the red card, Mitch Megginson made it 3-1, and Jordan Kirkpatrick delivered the final blow.

The only disappointment was that fourth place has just about disappeared over the horizon after Queen of the South’s 2-0 win over Livingston.

But Sons can still have a say in where the league title goes when they travel to face new leaders Dundee on Saturday. A home win will give the Dark Blues the title.

The thing is, though – Dumbarton would surely be one of the last opponents they would choose for that scenario. Sons are due a break against them. Who would bet against it coming on Saturday?

The match against Hamilton got off to a quiet start. The only significant incident in the first half hour was a chance for Scotland which saw him run in on goal, but a brave tackle by Michael Miller stopped him.

Then on 31 minutes Agnew lined up a free kick out on the right. If someone got on the end of it, surely they would score.

In the end it didn’t need touched by anyone in the area. The midfielder’s flighted ball drifted all the way into the net at the far post.

Just afterwards Anthony Andreu got into a good position for Accies but sliced his shot across goal.

However, with five minutes left of the first half Scotland controlled the ball on the edge of the area, turned his marker and fired home a low drive.

The home side made a strong finish to the first half, with Andy Graham heading narrowly wide before an audacious 30-yard volley by Bryan Prunty just missed the target.

But the early stages of the second half were all about Hamilton, who were desperate to retain top spot, with Dundee and Falkirk in front.

Ally Crawford had a shot turned away by Jamie Ewings, who then kept out Louis Longridge after the midfielder pounced on a slack passback

Garry Fleming saw an effort turned wide for Sons but still the visitors were battling. Scotland was again stopped by a last-ditch tackle, this time by Graham, while Andreu’s header from a corner was somehow scrambled clear.

Ewings then beat away another shot by Crawford. Falkirk were now being held 1-1 at Morton, but Hamilton’s frustration was mounting.

That allowed Sons back into it. Paul McGinn had a shot deflected off target while Fleming burst through on goal only for two defenders to scramble his effort clear.

Then, with 13 minutes left, Sons raised eyebrows across Scotland yet again.

Mark Gilhaney’s ball in from the right was too high for Nish, but when Megginson sent the ball back across, this time the striker headed home from close range.

And five minutes later the silverware moved further out of Hamilton’s reach. Neil got involved with Gilhaney in an off-the-ball incident and attempted to headbutt the midfielder, which saw him sent off.

Another minute. Game over.

Megginson thrashed home a shot from 30 yards and Sons were finishing their home fixtures on a winning note for sure.

Soon afterwards Nish thought he had his second but a close offside decision wrote off that prospect.

However, he was the provider for goal number four after 86 minutes. His low ball back from the goal line was slid into the net by Kirkpatrick from 12 yards.

It’s almost sobering to think that Saturday’s Dens Park trip is almost certain to be Sons’ last game of the season. You just don’t want it to end.

But anyone thinking Dundee have an easy passage to the trophy will need to think again.

If the breaks even themselves out over a season then Sons are due a big win on Saturday.

And a win for Cowdenbeath against Queen of the South which wipes out the goal difference and puts Sons fourth.

It’s the climax this season deserves.

Dumbarton: Ewings; McGinn, Graham, Turner, Gilhaney, Agnew (Kirkpatrick 74), Megginson, Prunty (Nish 61), Fleming (Kane 80), Linton, Miller. Subs: Grindlay; McLaughlin, McDougall, Murray. Booked: Gilhaney.

Hamilton Accies: Cuthbert; Gordon, Devlin, Canning, Gillespie (Curier 76), Neil, Crawford (Routledge 88), Longridge (Keatings 67), Andreu, Tena, Scotland. Subs: Currie; Ryan, Kilday, George. Sent off: Neil.

Referee: George Salmond.

Crowd: 1,420.

Editorial: Moyes leaves Manchester United

SOMEWHERE in the world right now is a 72-year-old Scot who may well be thinking ‘Thank goodness’.

In fact, he’s probably been thinking it all season.

Sir Alex Ferguson will no doubt have huge sympathy for David Moyes, dismissed by Manchester United today only 10 months after succeeding him as manager.

But the Red Devils’ decision has confirmed what most of us already knew. Whoever replaced Fergie – Moyes, Mourinho or Murray – was on a hiding to nothing.

And while the two-times Champions League winner made many inspired decisions at Old Trafford, one of his best was to get out when he did. He saw what was coming.

United won last season’s Premier League with some moments of quality, but despite numerous factors. Over the season they were very heavily reliant on Robin Van Persie, their £24million blue chip signing.

The Dutchman remained relatively injury-free last season and was a real talisman, playing in all 38 league games. His 26 goals during that spell almost won them the league single-handedly.

However, this season he’s not had it all his own way. He’s turned out in only 18 of United’s 34 league games and has scored only three goals in the competition since the turn of the year.

Barring an imperious hat-trick against Olympiakos which overturned the 2-0 deficit in the last 16, Van Persie has found the target on only one further occasion during this season’s Champions League.

How many times is it said that when a certain player doesn’t play, the team doesn’t play?

Injuries or not, that’s utterly true in this instance. There’s also the issue that won’t go away – where do he and Wayne Rooney fit into the same side?

It’s not as if that was the only obstacle facing Moyes, though. He inherited a squad that, despite winning the league, needed a mini-clearout.

These days there’s no mini about it – it needs a clearout. There’s no point in naming individuals, but it’s been obvious from more than one United game this season that several players need moved on.

And remember, this is Manchester United we’re talking about. The first-ever winners of the Premier League, champions a further 12 times since – therefore expected to keep winning it until the end of football.

You heap all that weight of expectation on a manager who, despite 11 years at Everton, is entering a whole new ball game, don’t you?

It’s all or nothing. No time to settle into the job. Deliver success instantly. Even if he is on a six-year contract which you’ve given him because he’s the chosen one.

Where Moyes did undoubtedly go wrong was in February when Rooney was handed an absurd new deal worth £300,000 a week.

What’s that going to do for morale among the rest of the troops, who earn a fraction of that?

He should have said to the frontman: “I’ve sold you before, from Everton, and I won’t hesitate to do so again as long as you make those demands.”

But this was yet another example of the player calling the tune. It was obvious who was in charge, and it wasn’t who should have been.

He’ll be back in management. Within a year maybe, maximum two.

It took him 11 years to get to Manchester United’s hot seat. It took 10 months for him to be ejected from it. But the job needs a strong character which, despite his exit, Moyes is.

His tenure at Old Trafford ended with a 2-0 defeat from his former club. Wherever he ends up, inflicting the same scoreline on United when he next manages against them will be a pleasure.

As for his successor, only miracle-workers need apply. Or anyone who’s confident they can rebuild the squad big-time for next season.

If they don’t, then expect United to be in this position, or close to it, once again next February or thereabouts. But then, that’s football.

EXCLUSIVE: I’ll decide at the end of the season

PAUL McGINN is regarded as a player with a big future in the game.

But the Dumbarton defender, named last week as the best right back in the Championship, isn’t looking beyond the next 180 minutes of football. At least.

The 23-year-old’s performances led him to be named in the SPFL team of the year for the division, voted for by players, last week.

His all-action displays are also thought to have attracted interest from clubs at a higher level.

However, he insists that no decision will be made until after Sons kick their final ball of the season – whether that’s at Dundee on Saturday, May 3 or in the play-offs.

Ambitions of the latter of those took a big setback on Saturday with a 3-0 defeat to Queen of the South, who are now in control of the race for fourth place.

Paul said: “Whenever people have contacted me I’ve just said that I’ll see what happens at the end of the season.

“I don’t want anything to cloud my judgment so I will finish the campaign and take my future from there.

“Being nominated for team of the year was a proud moment for me. It makes up for not getting into the Third Division team of the year with Queen’s Park.

“I was never nominated for that team when I felt I deserved to be. It means a lot as it is voted for by your fellow professionals.

“It just wasn’t meant to be against Queen of the South. I didn’t think we played all that badly and had we scored when Chris Kane was through on goal, we could have gone on and won.

“But things change in an instant and they were clinical in front of goal when their chances came along.”

And Paul conceded that while Sons’ top four ambitions aren’t dead, they face a difficult task to get back into the play-off places in the final two games.

However, Alloa’s 2-1 defeat to Hamilton on Saturday confirmed that Dumbarton WILL finish the season as Scotland’s highest-placed part-time club – for the second year in a row.

League leaders Hamilton now come to the Rock this Saturday with a chance to clinch the title – but Paul is in every mood to disrupt their ambitions.

He continued: “I think Queens are just about there now, especially with their goal difference. They probably only need one more win and it would then be out of our reach, but fair play to them.

“We can’t lose sight of what we’ve achieved this season. We’ve always felt that we have the best part-time side in the division.

“The midweek games did come back to haunt us a bit but we’ve shown we can be a top half team and we now aim to finish there.

“There’d be no better way to prove that than beating the league leaders. The pressure is on Hamilton. Hopefully there’ll be a bit of rain on the pitch this week to take the bobbles out of it.”

Paul isn’t the only member of the McGinn family who has had high hopes dashed this week.

He travelled to Wembley Stadium last Sunday hoping to watch his big brother Stephen play for Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-final against Hull City.

But McGinn Sr didn’t get on the pitch as the League One Blades lost 5-3 to the Premier League side.

They can still reach their league play-offs, though, and with younger brother John bidding to avoid relegation with St Mirren, it could still be a season to remember for all the family.

Paul added: “It was a bit disappointing with Stephen not playing, and only being an unused substitute. He’d managed to play most of the earlier rounds but they’ve been on a good run recently.

“They can still make the play-offs, so if they could do that and John can avoid relegation with St Mirren, we’ll all be happy!”

Dumbarton 0 QOS 3

SO, that was Judgment Day.

And on Easter weekend, it was the self-professed only team in the Bible who prevailed.

Dumbarton welcomed Queen of the South to the Rock knowing that victory would guarantee neither side fourth place. But it would give the winners a huge advantage.

It was the Dumfries side who gained that initiative after Iain Russell’s TENTH goal against Sons in the first half. After the restart, Derek Lyle and Kevin Holt made the visitors’ win more emphatic.

The game was actually closely contested possession-wise. Neither side created many clearcut chances. But when Queens did, they were clinical.

Sons’ hopes of finishing fourth aren’t dead – but there is no getting away from how big a result this could be.

There is now no room for error in the final two matches of the season, against Hamilton Accies and Dundee. And everything has to stay crossed that at least one of Queens’ opponents, Livingston and Cowdenbeath, can deliver a favour.

Whatever the outcome, this is a season to be looked back on with honour and distinction. However, this keenly-anticipated clash proved a bridge too far, and one last dramatic twist is needed for the ‘impossible dream’ to be realised.

Neither team got into top gear early in the match, with 17 minutes having passed before the first real opening.

Even that came out of nothing, with Scott Linton’s free kick from the right missing a vital touch by anyone and drifting narrowly past the far post.

But 60 seconds later came a totally avoidable goal. A long ball caused hesitancy in the Sons defence, with a communication breakdown resulting in keeper Jamie Ewings coming off his line.

Russell headed the loose ball over him for his third Queens goal against Dumbarton. He’s also scored for Livingston against his former club seven times.

Despite the opening goal the game still wasn’t fully into life, although there was a spell where Sons looked fairly likely to equalise.

On 25 minutes Colin Nish latched on to Mitch Megginson’s through ball and slotted home – only for the assistant referee to declare him offside.

Soon afterwards Megginson cut into the area from the right, beating two defenders, but his shot went past the far post.

The promising play was there again at the start of the second half, with Chris Kane having a shot saved.

However, another chance which came his way on 52 minutes had more serious repercussions than he could have expected.

Through on goal, with Megginson in the middle looking for a pass, he elected to go it alone, with the keeper blocking his shot at close range.

Only seconds later the ball was cleared into Sons’ half and Lyle rounded Ewings to slot away the visitors’ second goal.

It was harsh. But it was a sign of what it takes to be part of the promotion race.

And on 66 minutes, a loose ball fell to Holt, who took one touch on the corner of the area before thrashing it behind Ewings. There could be no arguments with that.

Realistically the game was over, but Sons’ efforts to find the net weren’t. Mark McLaughlin’s header was saved, as was Bryan Prunty’s headed effort from Paul McGinn’s cross.

But Queens could just as easily have added a fourth. Ewings made his first serious save of the match with eight minutes left, keeping out Danny Carmichael’s bending shot.

The remaining minutes were seen out by the visitors, with only an off-target Scott Agnew shot from distance threatening to pull one back for Sons.

This game had been four days in the build-up after Queens’ midweek defeat to Raith. It took just 90 minutes for a sledgehammer to be taken to Sons’ ambitions.

A top four place remains possible. All it takes is one final moment of drama. Possibly to deny either Hamilton or Dundee the title as well.

Dumbarton: Ewings; McGinn, Graham, McLaughlin, Turner, Gilhaney, Megginson (McDougall 80), Kirkpatrick (Agnew 64), Linton (Prunty 69), Nish, Kane. Subs: Grindlay; Miller, Phinn, Murray. Booked: Prunty, Turner.

QOS: Clark; Mitchell, Holt, Kerr (McKenna 86), Durnan, Dowie, Burns, McShane (Young 69), Lyle (Carmichael 70), Paton, Russell. Subs: Atkinson; Dzierzawski, Higgins, Kidd. Booked: Durnan, Paton.

Referee: Kevin Graham.

Crowd: 1,263

Raith Rovers 1 Dumbarton 3

STILL it won’t go away.

The idea that Dumbarton could finish fourth in the Championship. It’s still there. And it deserves to be.

Last Sunday Raith Rovers were celebrating with the Ramsdens Cup after victory over Rangers. Just six days later they were swept aside by Sons.

Mark Gilhaney opened the scoring, just as he did against Alloa last week. By half time Mitch Megginson had doubled the lead.

A third goal by Colin Nish just after the restart had it just about done and dusted. Gordon Smith did get one back for Raith but any chance they had was ended with Douglas Hill’s sending off.

Now the stage is set for a massive encounter with Queen of the South at the Rock next Saturday. A fixture which few could have seen enjoying any such billing.

Queens have a midweek trip to Raith on Tuesday. Whatever happens there, Sons will face them knowing they can go fourth. With two games left of the season.

The campaign’s first target, survival, was officially secured with this victory at Kirkcaldy. But there’s life in the season yet. Lots of it.

Sons started the game well on top as a loose ball fell to Scott Linton on the edge of the area only for the left back’s shot to be saved.

He then set up Garry Fleming for a low angled drive but the home keeper palmed the forward’s effort away.

Fleming soon went close to scoring again – at the other end. His header from a Raith corner crashed back off the bar, with keeper Jamie Ewings dealing with the loose ball.

Chris Turner’s low drive went narrowly past but an opener by Sons was coming and arrived after 22 minutes.

Jordan Kirkpatrick’s free kick fell to the winger inside the area and he made no mistake with a composed finish.

Cup final scorer John Baird forced a save out of Ewings as the hosts fought back, with Callum Booth then shooting off target.

But after 28 minutes Megginson beat two home defenders,  made space for himself and thrashed the ball home for an excellent goal.

An effort by Baird, which drifted narrowly past the far post, was the closest either side came during the remnants of the first half.

However, Sons rediscovered their finishing prowess only three minutes into the second half after Paul McGinn sent in a low ball.

Gilhaney initially went for goal, but Nish got a leg to the ball and diverted it outwith the reach of the scrambling keeper.

Megginson nearly made it four with a narrow angled shot which hit the side netting, while Nish was off target with a couple of opportunities.

But Raith were next on to the scoresheet on 64 minutes when a corner was scrambled partly clear. Smith, brother of ex-Dumbarton striker Kevin, blasted home a bending shot from 20 yards.

That gave them a small amount of hope but 11 minutes later, it was taken away from them again.

Hill, man of the match in last week’s final, hauled back Fleming as he homed in on goal. A sending off was a no-brainer, with Fleming firing just over from the resulting free kick.

Sub Chris Kane had a late effort blocked at close range by the keeper but it was immaterial. The job, both on the day and in terms of the season’s initial ambition, was done.

Now for next Saturday. A promotion showdown. Seriously.

Raith Rovers: Robinson; Thomson, Booth, Watson, Hill, Spence (Vaughan 65), Elliot. Anderson (Callachan 46), Smith, Mullen, Baird. Subs: Laidlaw; Donaldson, Ellis, Matthews, Bates. Sent off: Hill.

Dumbarton: Ewings; McGinn, Graham, McLaughlin, Turner, Gilhaney, Megginson, Fleming (Murray 89), Kirkpatrick (Agnew 75), Linton, Nish (Kane 76). Subs: Grindlay; Smith, McDougall, Prunty. Booked: Gilhaney.

Referee: Craig Charleston.

More to celebrate in Fife?

EVEN cup winners don’t frighten Dumbarton these days.

Not when they are a team from Fife who play in blue, and a result against them can seal survival for Sons.

Last season, Scott Agnew inspired them to stay up with a magnificent equaliser in a 3-2 win away to Cowdenbeath in the second last game of the season.

This Saturday, elsewhere in Fife, he hopes that Sons can secure a result away to Ramsdens Cup winners Raith Rovers.

A victory won’t just boost their push for a top four place. Even a draw will mean that they officially achieve the season’s primary target of survival – two games earlier than they managed it last year.

Scott was watching as Raith beat Rangers 1-0 in Sunday’s cup final, but knows just what is at stake on his team’s trip to Kirkcaldy this weekend.

He said: “Raith will be celebrating Sunday’s victory this week but it’s a massive game. They’ll be up for it and will have had a lift from winning the cup.

“They will prepare to play us as they would any other team and we will have to be at our best to beat them.

“I watched most of the final and I thought they deserved to win. They defended very well and we know from our games against them that they are a decent side.

“I think it shows how well we have done this season when we are still talking about reaching the play-offs with only four games to go.

“We are maybe outsiders to catch Queen of the South in fourth place but it is still possible, with them still having to come to our place. You never know if results can go your way.

“Then we have a tough finish to the season against Hamilton and Dundee, who are battling it out for the title. We know we can take points off any team and I don’t see why we can’t do that in those games if we need to.

“But a point will guarantee that we will avoid relegation, which was the target at the start of the season. As a part-time club, we will be very pleased to meet that.”

Sons head into the game off the back of a fine victory of their own – a 4-1 success at home to Alloa where Scott scored a fine third goal.

The 26-year-old was in the last Wasps side to beat Dumbarton – in August 2009, all of 12 games ago.

The victory was never in doubt as Sons provided a fine response to the 3-0 midweek defeat at Morton.

Scott continued: “The boys played very well and in the end it was a comfortable victory.

“I was quite pleased with my goal. It just fell to me on the edge of the box and I was just happy that it went in.

“We did want to respond after the defeat to Morton last week. We were disappointed as a group with how we played in that match and everything that could go wrong went wrong.

“This season we’ve done really well against Alloa but it’s nice to hear that we’ve been unbeaten against them for so long.

“If they are in the same league as us again next season then hopefully we can maintain our record.”

Scott also feels that at the business end of the season, the Sons squad are playing to secure new deals at the club.

He added: “The boys always want to impress, whether it’s the Dumbarton manager or another boss who is watching if you are not going to be there next season.

“Come the close season, if we have done well enough the manager will reward us with new deals.”

Mission almost accomplished

GARRY FLEMING and his Dumbarton team-mates started the season with one goal.

They could achieve it on Saturday – and gain a further boost towards another.

The striker is targeting a result away to Raith Rovers after scoring in Sons’ 4-1 win over Alloa on Saturday.

Just a draw at Stark’s Park will mean that Sons are definitely in the second tier of Scottish football again next season – at least.

But a win could move them level on points with fourth-placed Queen of the South – if the Doonhamers lose at home to Falkirk.

Queens then have a game in hand next Tuesday – away to Raith. They then visit the Rock on Saturday, April 19.

Garry will sit out that game due to a one-match ban but is available for the trip to Kirkcaldy – and hopes to help Sons get the result that will, first and foremost, officially secure survival.

He said: “Raith’s ground is a hard place to go but if we carry on as we did today we know we can create chances.

“Hopefully they can switch off against us – and then switch back on against Queen of the South three days later and do us a favour!

“You always look after your own results first but at this stage you are keeping an eye on how your rivals do as well.

“We know we will officially be safe if we avoid defeat on Saturday and that will be a big achievement for us in itself.

“We want to stay in the league when you look at the teams that will be in it next year. I think it will be the best league in Scotland.

“We’ll try to finish as high up as we can and see where we are at the end of the season.”

Garry’s goal against Alloa was his seventh of the season – more than double the tally he managed in his first campaign with Sons last year.

But he isn’t finished yet with his own personal ambitions for the campaign, looking for at least another three goals in the matches he has left.

Sons’ victory over the Wasps provided a fine response to Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat at Morton.

And Garry also feels that the players are playing for new deals as the season reaches its business end.

He added: “Everyone is trying to play for a contract but we’ve been playing well and it was a good win against Alloa on Saturday.

“Hopefully our performances will continue and the gaffer will speak to us at the end of the season.

“This season I’ve been wanting to score more goals after playing in different positions last season. My target is to reach double figures.

“People will say that the Morton game was down to fixture congestion and tiredness but we have a job to do when we go out to play and it was a poor performance by us.

“But Saturday showed how good our squad is and we hope to carry on the winning habit against Raith.”

Dumbarton 4 Alloa Athletic 1

TWELVE games. Three league seasons’ worth of fixtures.

It’s difficult to imagine when Dumbarton last went so long unbeaten against any team. That’s now their record against Alloa.

Not since that day of pure raw emotion in August 2009, when the late Gordon Lennon’s family raised the Third Division flag, have Sons been beaten by the Wasps.

Scott Agnew was in the Alloa side that won 3-1 at the Rock that day. His goal for Sons in this match was the star attraction in a victory which was never in doubt.

Mark Gilhaney opened the scoring to give the hosts a 1-0 half time lead, which was doubled in the second half by Garry Fleming before a powerful netbuster from Agnew.

Chris Kane added the fourth before a deflected Liam Caddis effort denied Sons a clean sheet.

That could be the only downside for the home side in a match they controlled from start to finish. A response was expected from Tuesday’s defeat at Morton, and duly delivered.

Barring a remarkable swing in goal difference, Dumbarton will still be below Queen of the South when the sides meet at the Rock on Saturday, April 19 whatever happens in advance.

However, the possibility of that being a crunch game for fourth place just won’t go away. Not when Sons are in full flow.

And a draw away to Raith Rovers on Saturday will be enough to officially seal the deal they wanted to clinch at the start of the season – survival.

The game’s only chance in the early stages fell to Fleming, but his low shot from the edge of the area was turned wide, with the corner coming to nothing.

But Gilhaney, himself an ex-Alloa player, provided the spark on 24 minutes with his first league goal for nearly a year.

The wide man cut into the area from the right hand side and found the far corner of the net with a low drive.

Two other former Wasps had chances to extend the lead. Mitch Megginson nearly cashed in on defensive hesitancy from a passback, but Darryl Meggatt did enough to clear.

Then Gilhaney set up Bryan Prunty inside the area but the ball didn’t sit well for the striker and his finish was off target.

Alloa threatened late in the first half as Michael Doyle and then Darren Young forced saves out of Jamie Ewings. Neither was too awkward for the keeper – also an ex-Wasps player.

Three minutes into the second half came the moment that made Sons’ unbeaten run against Alloa almost certain to continue.

Fleming made space for himself on the edge of the area and his low drive was deflected in off the post.

That triggered a succession of chances for Sons, but Megginson and then Colin Nish – yet another former Alloa man – couldn’t find the target.

Then Ewings made a brilliant close range save from Andy Kirk’s header as he looked to maintain his clean sheet.

After a clear pull on Paul McGinn’s jersey in the area went unseen by the officials, the deal was clinched with 10 minutes left.

Two goalkeepers wouldn’t have been enough to stop Agnew’s vicious shot from the edge of the area, which went in off the bar.

They weren’t finished, though. Just three minutes later a high ball from the left found Nish waiting at the back post.

The angle was too awkward for him to score – but he cleverly played the ball back across to give Kane a simple headed finish.

Unfortunately, though, he wasn’t the only on-loan St Johnstone player to score in this game. Caddis, borrowed by Alloa from the Perth side, fired home a deflected shot with four minutes to go.

Sons are still up against the odds to be involved in the play-offs at the end of the season, with only four matches left.

However, this was a reminder not to write them off yet. That clash with Queen of the South in 13 days’ time could yet mean everything.

Dumbarton: Ewings; McGinn, Graham, McLaughlin, Gilhaney (McDougall 80), Megginson, Prunty (Agnew 67), Fleming (Kane 66), Kirkpatrick, Linton, Nish. Subs: Grindlay; Smith, Thomson, Murray. Booked: Gilhaney.

Alloa Athletic: Bain; Doyle, Meggatt, Gordon, Lindsay, Young, Cawley, McCord, Kirk (Caddis 73), Holmes, Ferns (Caldwell 59). Subs: McDowall; Flannigan, Tiffoney, Robertson, Marr. Booked: Caddis.

Referee: Andrew Dallas.

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