SPFL Tier 4, The Rock, 15/10/22.

Perhaps I am a jinx after all. We haven’t scored a goal in open play since the one I saw at New Bayview. And we’re no longer top of the league. (Okay it’s by goal difference but that’s a ten point lead gone inside four games.)

Whatever, this was a hard watch. Albion Rovers were worth a point and but for three goal-line clearances in nearly as many seconds could have had all three.

We were more or less not in the game for the first ten minutes and Rovers had already hit the post before another misplaced clearance resulted in an opportunity for their player to belt the ball home.

We did come into it and the penalty was an absolute stone-waller. Carsy stepped up to convert. A few minutes later Ally Love had a great chance to put us in the lead but pulled his shot wide. It looked easier to score.

In the second half any promising moves came to nothing due to poor final balls. There was a similar stramash to the one we got away with in the first half but we couldn’t get the ball past their defenders. In the end we were grateful to Brett Long’s fine one handed save late on to salvage a point from this.

If we are as poor as this against Cumnock on Friday I suspect we won’t be in the Cup for the next round draw.

SPFL Tier 3, Bayview Stadium, 3/9/22.

Well. I’m not a jinx. And the club record number of wins at the start of a season was broken again. We’re eight points clear. I keep thinking sometime I will wake up.

This was my first time seeing this Sons side and it was a strange experience. The difference between last season and this is night and day. Indeed I do not recall ever seeing a Dumbarton team have so much ‘dig’ in it. Every ball was contested, the press was coordinated, the determination impressive.

Not that it was a very good game. It didn’t contain much flowing football. But a win is a win.

My impression was that East Fife had more of the ball in the first half but the half-time possession statistics (according to the BBC website) suggested the opposite. Our goal came form a quick turnover in midfield when Ryan Blair sent Declan Byrne through with an arrowed pass and he ran on to dispatch it past the keeper into the far corner. A minute later Declan nearly repeated the feat but this time his shot from a slightly narrower angle hit the post and bounced out. Byrne was a terrier up front, putting himself about but also able to hold the ball up distribute it.

We had a few half-chances in the second half but mostly put the ball over the bar. There was one lovely corner routine which ought perhaps to have led to a goal but the final shot was scuffed and subsequently hacked away.

There very few moments of concern in our box. Brett Long in goal didn’t have to make a save. One East Fife effort did hit the bar but Brett may have had the scoring trajectory covered.

There was also a good amount of game management going on in the second half. Nice to see.

Next up is Stranraer away. They are our bogey team. A good test then.