Dumbarton FC: Manager Stevie Farrell hails battling Bonnyrigg draw

Sons were down to the bare bones defensively and were on the wrong end of a contentious penalty decision – but came from behind to earn a point thanks to a Josh Grigor own goal.

Centre-half and skipper Gregor Buchanan was missing after suffering a head injury last weekend, with the natural replacement, Ryan McGeever, also missing as a result of a viral infection.

Stuart Carswell was also forced off at the break, meaning the away side ended the game with two right-backs and two left-backs across their back four – and Faz believes the character his troops showed to earn a battling point is why they now find themselves four clear at the top after Stirling's loss at Stranraer.

Speaking post-match, he said: “I said to the players after the game that could be the most important point of the season.

“When you consider everything before the game – we lose Gregor Buchanan and with the way he has been playing, and that’s a massive loss; then we think it’s okay, because Ryan McGeever is coming back, but he text me on Saturday morning to say he’s not well. Then Stuart Carswell has to come off at half-time.

“Kalvin Orsi probably wasn’t fit today, and Edin Lynch hasn’t played in all those months, and for the last 20 minutes he was running on empty, but that just shows what’s in the dressing room.

“That’s why we haven’t been out the top two all season and are sitting where we are sitting and picking up points most weeks – because of what is in that dressing room, the character and the resilience.

“We’re not getting carried away, but we’re in a very good position. We’ve got ourselves into that by having a strong squad that picks up results and finds solutions in games.

“We’ve found a massive point at a really difficult place. The pitch is what it is, and Bonnyrigg play the way they play, but teams will come here between now and the end of the season and struggle, so we take our point and go into a two-week break.”