Published: Tuesday, 13th November, 2007 10:30
ALBION DEFEAT FINAL STRAW
By Gare Clyde
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Albion Rovers 2 Dumbarton 0
I SUPPOSE when two teams play as badly as Dumbarton and Albion Rovers did on Saturday, one of the poor performers will generally win.
The defeat sent Dumbarton into the division’s bottom three, and the following day manager Gerry McCabe paid the price of the poor start to the league campaign when he was sacked by the board of directors.
The result was the final straw which ended Gerry’s 18 months at the helm in his first managerial post.
Yet things could have been so different had midfielder Niall Henderson not been sent off by referee Craig Charleston after only 35 minutes of play.
The midfielder was destined for an early bath after a second yellow card led to a red with 55 minutes still to tick away on the clock.
There are few venues in which to watch football as depressing as gaudy red and yellow Cliftonhill Park, but you have to make do with your outlandish environment.
But that depression, particularly following Henderson’s dismissal, seemed to seep deep into the minds and boots of this Dumbarton side.
Inconsistency has bedevilled Dumbarton’s exploits all season and it struck them again against Albion Rovers, who were not a better side but grabbed with verve and enthusiasm the opportunity presented to them.
Little to praise
It would be easy to crucify this Sons side, and they did little on Saturday to earn praise or a not guilty verdict.
But let us correct the confusion of a good team going bad a matter of a few days after they had proved to be a scintillating, systematic side of executioners.
The sending-off did change the game. There is no doubt about that.
They then went on to lose a goal on the minute of half-time and keeper David Crawford will not be too enamoured about that one.The alert Roddie Hunter accepted full advantage of a defensive gaffe and volleyed the first goal.
You need a goal on the stroke of half-time after being reduced to ten men like you need the milkman to run away with the wife.
The second goal came just four minutes into the second half and it was a present for Albion sub Pat Walker. Chris Hamilton slept when a challenge was necessary and the Sons defence looked a bit like Dad’s Army when the ball was returned into the area for Walker to score.
Now let us go back to the play and the movement of the game prior to Henderson’s sending off.
Sons were the movers then, not so much in invention but certainly in possession, and Albion were the trailers.
But ceilings do not fall in faster than this one which collapsed on Sons and their future became a Doomsday watch and a nightmare scenario.
After that the game visibly deteriorated and any chance of a courageous Sons comeback was left to the fiction writers.
What qualities did Rovers have which were missing on this dreadful day from their Dumbarton counterparts? Certainly they were opportunists.
They got their goals as easily as sticking a foot out and earning the pat on the back by the errors of the opposition.
I do not undermine the Rovers. They played the game which fortune and circumstances dictated put them in the driving seat.
The Sons players latterly looked as likely to stage a comeback as a flag stuck at half mast.
There are good players in this Dumbarton side, but they have too often showed themselves to be bad players.
The team, in general, is a frustrating collection of consistent purveyors of what is good in football and what is the dark side of playing the game to form and with efficiency. The consistent direction is not there.
They will look at the third division league table this week and if their cheeks do not blossom into bright red blushes, they should do!
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