DUMBARTON midfielder Grant Gallagher insists the Sons have to make the Rock a fortress to have a successful Labrokes Championship campaign.

Sons have notched up six points from their first six home games after Saturday’s 5-0 defeat to Falkirk. An opening day win over Hibs and a recent defeat of Livingston are the only other points Dumbarton have registered at the Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium.

Gallagher is convinced Sons can improve on their home form, starting with Saturday’s visit of Morton.

He said: “It is definitely important for us to get a run going at home. When teams come to Dumbarton we have got to make it hard for them, so it becomes a place where we are going to take points and get us up the table.

“We need to make it a place where teams don’t want to come, if we are doing well at home it will be spoken about and put a wee doubt in the mind of teams coming here.” Gallagher has been an ever-present for manager Stevie Aitken this season since he followed his boss from Stranraer in the summer. The versatile midfielder has deputised in a number of positions for the side, playing wide, off the front, at right back and in his favoured central midfield role.

After making the step up from League One, Gallagher is happy to do a job for the team in whichever position his manager sees fit, although he admitted it can be difficult being shunted around the pitch.

The 24-year-old netted his first league goal of the season in last week’s 4-2 defeat at Easter Road. That strike took him to three goals for Sons after his double in the Petrofac Training Cup at Morton in July.

Gallagher is aiming to add to that total with The Ton’s visit on Saturday, he said: “It can be tough playing a lot of positions because it is hard to get momentum going but I’m enjoying it, as long as I’m playing and in the starting eleven.

“At the start of season I was in the middle alongside Jon Routledge and I thought we formed a good partnership, I prefer playing box-to-box because I’ve got energy to burn. But playing behind the striker sometimes I need to be helping out with goals. I spoke about the number I should be looking to get at the start of the season, I think if I could get near double figures that would be good.” Stevie Aitken revealed last week in Reporter Sport he was working on extending the stays of his soon to be out-of-contract Sons. Eamonn Brophy, Jamie Lindsay, Stevie Ross, Steven Saunders and Darren Barr are all due to leave Dumbarton by January unless Aitken can tie up new deals.

Gallagher has urged his boss to keep as much of the squad together as possible, in particular he would love to see Barr remain at the club as he hailed his influence as captain.

He added: “I think he’ll look to tie up the boys who are already here to keep the harmony going, it’s a good squad we’ve got. Darren being captain and one of the most experienced in the team he has a big influence.

“He is someone you can go to if there’s any issues, even if it is something small, to have a guy like that about really helps.”