A SEASON like this one in the Scottish Championship is bound to throw up games to remember.
Matches which, whether a supporter or a neutral, you relish, savour and enjoy and feel privileged to say ‘I was there’.
But not this one.
If anyone’s memory has any mercy, this dull, scrappy, goalless spectacle between Dumbarton and Cowdenbeath will have been erased as soon as possible.
This fixture had the same scoreline as when Sons played Hearts three weeks before. Unfortunately that’s where the similarity ends.
Where there was drama, intensity and excitement against the Jambos, this rumbled along in a blaze of mediocrity for 90 per cent of the afternoon.
Cowdenbeath’s previous visit to G82 saw them sent up the road having conceded five goals. This time they kept a clean sheet fairly comfortably and created the opportunities for an even better result.
However, there were positives for the hosts to take. The defence kept up its impressive form with its third league clean sheet of the season – already surpassing the 2013/14 total.
So that’s one end of the pitch sorted. Now for Dumbarton to address the other.
With the players Sons have, they should not be struggling for goals. Yet here we are, one game short of finishing the league season’s first quarter, and only Chris Kane – absent through injury for the second match in a row – has scored more than once in the Championship.
The ability, unquestionably, is there. And at times, the break of the ball just hasn’t gone Dumbarton’s way in threatening areas.
But chances, when they came, were not put away. If Cowden had not been wasteful upfront then this could have ended with a more undesirable scoreline.
It was Sons, though, who made the better start. Garry Fleming found space 30 yards out, but his shot was saved.
Then referee Greg Aitken, who sent three Peterhead players off at Dunfermline last week, had an early decision to make when Archie Campbell went down in the area under a challenge from his namesake Iain. However, the official wasn’t interested.
The visitors were quick to make an impression themselves, with Danny Rogers saving from Kudus Oyenuga and then Kyle Miller.
Another Fleming effort from long range was spilled by the keeper, with Mark Gilhaney denied from the rebound at close range.
The rest of the first half plodded along before a great opportunity for Cowden three minutes from half time. Chris Kane – a Cowden player by the same name as Sons’ talisman – met a corner from the right but headed wide at the near post.
In the early second half, Oyenuga blasted over for Cowden while Jon Robertson’s long distance effort was beaten out by Rogers, with Sons scrambling clear.
Between those incidents, Fleming set up Jordan Kirkpatrick but his low, narrow angled shot was saved. Then the midfielder had similar luck with another effort, this time after being set up by Mitch Megginson.
After Rogers pushed an effort by Miller over the bar, Archie Campbell looked as though he was in for Sons, but the keeper blocked at close range to put the ball out for a corner.
All that was left was a Miller header which missed the target, and a Craig Sutherland shot which was saved by Rogers. Oyenuga found the net with the rebound but was flagged offside.
This game deserved to end 0-0. It was the second part of a double header which saw Sons face both of their fellow part-time Championship sides. The hope was for six points, but four isn’t bad.
Now for Hibs and Hearts away, and then Rangers at home. It would be nice to think that at least one of those games will be one to relish and remember. Sons have the ability to make it as such.
If those games are going to be better than this, they haven’t much to live up to.
Dumbarton: Rogers; Van Zanten (MacDonald 78), Linton, Graham, Gilhaney, Agnew (McDougall 86), Megginson, Kirkpatrick (Nish 64), Taggart, Fleming, Campbell. Subs: Ewings; Mair, McLaughlin. Booked: Fleming.
Cowdenbeath: Thomson; Campbell, O’Brien, Robertson, Higgins (Sutherland 86), Gallagher, Kane, Brownlie, Oyenuga, Miller, Fraser. Subs: Flynn; Brett, Jurisic, Johnston, Hughes, Scullion.
Referee: Greg Aitken.
Crowd: 851.
The Dumbarton Terrace 