East Fife 3-4 Dumbarton
Posted in Dumbarton FC at 12:00 on 24 February 2019
SPFL Tier 3, New Bayview,* 23/2/19
What a roller-coaster ride this was.
They had the better possesion in the first half but didn’t do much with it. Our defence looked very solid.
We hadn’t really threatened but a Calum Gallagher head-flick on to Dom Thomas left him running in towards goal. The ball sat up nicely for him to volley it. A belter. The keeper got a hand to it but the shot was too strong for him.
Fifteen minutes later the compliment was reversed when Dom played a cute ball behind the last defender. Cal Gal looked not to be in pole position but he managed to get past the defender and hit it early. It looked like the keeper might have done better. But 2-0. Cue slightly unbelieving delirium in the away end.
We had no corners in the first half but still scored again – with only our third shot** in the game. Dom Thomas wandering past their defenders before hitting a superb strike again from a narrow angle.
What a difference fifteen minutes made. They changed shape at half-time moving to three at the back and started to overload us in midfield. Our high press played into their hands a bit there. Suddenly their forwards were finding space in the box. We failed to clear a cross and the usual happened after the ball bounced around our box. Their second saw ex-Son Kevin Smith all alone i=n front of goal to nod home.
Thank goodness for Dom Thomas. The smart ball might have been to play in Cal Gal (who’d made a great run) but he just smashed it from outside the box as the defender backed off a bit to cover Cal’s run. Hat-trick and match ball for Dom. Bobby Barr’s reaction to Dom’s goal was priceless. Yes, Bobby; he is the man.
Nevertheless we’d throw another goal away almost from the kick-off. Nerve-racking stuff.
Cal Gal ought to have scored no 5 when Dom put him through but the keeper made a very good save.
I suppose the game was settled by the sending-off of Kane who – unable to cope with Dom’s trickery – dragged him back by the throat and the ref flourished the red card.
From then on we looked like we might score every time we went up the park – how we didn’t I don’t know.
There was still time for Sons fans to have convulsions when we thought the ref had given a penalty to East Fife. It looked to us as if Grant Adam had hit the ball against the attacker. Suggestions on Pie and Bovril were the linesman told the ref it wasn’t a pen. If so it was the only time he made a decision for himself all game.
A very, very welcome three points. We’ll need to improve our defending though, if we’re to get out of the relegation mire.
Btw: Why was no East Fife throw-in taker punished for a foul throw? Very few of their throw-ins were legal.
*Or whatever it’s called these days. (Locality Hub Bayview Stadium, I think.)
**edited to amend: third shot on target. Ross Forbes had an effort from a Dom Thomas cross going just over the bar.