SPFL Tier 4, Borough Briggs, SPFL Tier 4, 29/4/23.

Another ground new to me ticked off the list.

But the game was turgid end-of-season stuff.

We had nothing to play for. Given they needed a result I was surprised Elgin were so lacklustre throughout though. Before their last minute winner (another header from a set-piece, this is getting to be a habit) they only troubled Harry Broun in goal twice; once after Martin McNiff got himself into a fankle and let in – of all people – Kane Hester, Broun saved with his foot, and another from a long range shot which Broun had to dive full length to push away.

Not that we gave their keeper much bother- a Ryan Blair shot in the first half stung his palms, Finlay Gray forced him into a diving save late on – but earlier Ally Love could perhaps have kept his lob down a bit more.

That late goal, after an unnecessarily conceded free kick, deprived us of another clean sheet. It sent them and their fans into delirium though.

I hope we’re keeping our powder dry for the play-offs.

SPFL Tier 4, Forthbank, 25/3/23.

Well what an odd experience that was.

Despite our scudding last weekend and them on a roll what with going top by two points in midweek, this had a Stirling win all over it.

Yet still, I went to the game and, pre-match, had a pretty good feeling about it.

There was a pretty good turn out of Dumbarton fans too and the players seemed to appreciate it.

That good feeling almost evaporated after two minutes when Greg Buchanan was handed a yellow card for absolutely nothing. A couple of minutes or so after that it was Finlay Gray’s turn to see yellow. He seemed to me genuinely to have been fouled at the edge of the box.

Then a few minutes later Ross Maclean was shoved in the back in retaliation by one of their defenders when the ball was dead – right in front of the ref. No card – of any colour. Then Brett Long was shown yellow for time-wasting. He was trying to get the match ball after a ball boy had thrown him a substitute. Ross Maclean also got a yellow in the first half. I was thinking we would be lucky to end up with even nine men on the pitch. To contrast this Ally Love got an elbow to his face – play on. Gregg Wylde got caught by a dangerously high Stirling boot – again play on.

Somehow in all this we managed to score. Peter Grant had brought a save from their keeper from a corner but the goal was from open play, a Kalvin Orsi cross headed back across the keeper by Ross MacLean. It looked to me an easier save than the one he had made.

Their goal came from a corner (following a corner.) It looked to me like the the ball had gone out off one of their players. But the subsequent header was uncontested.

The ref wasn’t so egregious in the second half. The talk was all that someone (the supervisor perhaps) had had a word with him. If he’d carried on in the second half like he did in the first there would certainly have been fewer bodies on the pitch at the end. He did finally start wielding yellows to Stirling players but he couldn’t avoid it the fouls were so blatant.

Our second was a blast from Finlay Gray after Stirling hadn’t cleared their lines.

Despite having a bit more possession Stirling created very little from open play. That their second equaliser came from a corner following a corner (great block by Greg Buchanan) was severely disappointing. It was a carbon copy of their first.

Still what could have been a five point deficit is only two.

I only hope we have a few more players to call on soon than we had for this one. We were down to only five subs on the bench and Kalvin Orsi’s injury towards the end looked a sore one.

SPFL tier 4, New Bayview, 18/2/23.

Sometimes it just isn’t your day.

I had the feeling that might be the case when early on Ally Love was put through in a position to lob the keeper. He put it wide.

A few minutes later we had a shot blocked from what looked a promising opening.

Then we lost Gregg Wylde to injury a few seconds after it seemed Finlay Gray was fouled in their box. Had the ref given it the injury wouldn’t have happened.

Their first came from a corner that never was. The ball clearly went out from an East Fife player’s head. (It should still hve been defended though.)

Not long after Martin McNiff also had to go off.

Two substitutions in the first half and a goal down. However we were the team putting more pressure on but couldn’t work a clear opening.

With Stirling Albion two goals down at half time it was possible we might get away with it.

Second half was much the same. Declan Byrne and Russell MacLean came on but didn’t really change the dynamic. MacLean though did look to have a chance to score late on but didn’t make good contact with the ball and bundled it towards the keeper.

Their second was as a result of us chasing the point. We had too many players upfield and the break exposed us.

To make things worse Stirling managed to get two in the second half despite being down to ten men. Our advantage has dropped to only three points – which may be zero if Stirling win their game in hand.

SPFL Tier 4, Ochilview, 4/2/23.

It was annoying to drop two points in added time, but at least we didn’t lose. And no damage was done to our lead since Stirling Albion also drew – but a win would have made the margin between us more comfortable.

I suppose Ally Love’s goal for us just before half-time meant we didn’t go looking for another too forcefully so this was an ending that was probably coming.
We haven’t scored two in a game for over a month now. We’ll need to start doing that again if we’re to stay top.

SPFL Tier 4, The Rock, 17/9/22.

Well that’s our first goal – and so first win – against Bonnyrigg.

I don’t know if we ground it out but that’s two 1-0 wins in a row.

Interesting to note it was Carsy who took the penalty. Ally Love took the last two – against Elgin three weeks ago.

And we broke our record of successive wins at the start of a season again – plus equalled the Division’s best ever start.

On Tuesday night we’re at Stranraer for the game postponed from last week. As I said before, they’re our bogey team.

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 27/8/22.

Club history!

Never before have we won our first five league games in a row.

Being a Dumbarton supporter of long-standing this is a very unusual circumstance to behold. We have won five games in a row mid-season but I still wonder if I’m dreaming.

We’ve yet to play three of the top five though.

I just don’t know what to think about it.

It’s almost incidental who actually scored but it was Ally Love with two penalties within minutes of each other. (Not Carsy on penalty duty I note.)

It’s East Fife away next week in what, since I live in Fife, amounts to a home game for me.

But since I’ve not seen us live this season I have a quandary. Do I keep doing the same thing as I’ve done every Saturday so far or go to the game and risk being a jinx?