GARRY Fleming’s leveller eight minutes from time gave Dumbarton a 2-2 draw against Dunfermline Athletic at the CID Stadium last Saturday.

The Sons took the lead through Joe Thomson on 37 minutes, but Nicky Clark scored shortly after the break and Joe Cardle looked to have secured the three points for Athletic after 80 minutes.

But Fleming smashed home his first league goal of the season just minutes after to make sure the home side came away with a point.

Dumbarton manager Stevie Aitken opted to keep the same line-up and new-look formation from the previous game against Dundee United the week before.

The hosts looked lively from the off, with Josh Todd having the first effort on goal saved by Pars goalkeeper Sean Murdoch.

Dumbarton’s next chance came from a Daniel Harvie long throw, with Robert Thomson flicking the ball on to Sam Stanton, who was unable to capitalise.

The visitors began to gain a foothold in the game after 15 minutes, dominating possession and beginning to camp in the Sons half.

But the Pars were limited to mainly long shots, with Andy Geggan and Kallum Higginbotham both firing wide from range.

Then after 37 minutes, Dunfermline paid the penalty for their inaccuracy at goal after Joe Thomson bagged his first professional goal.

The 19-year-old, on loan from Celtic, latched onto Robert Thomson’s cross after Williamson slipped in the box.

So far so good for Stevie Aitken’s men, but their lead was shortlived.

Just after the break, Talbot swung in a cross from the left-hand side for Clark to head home from six yards out.

With their tails up, substitute Cardle forced a save out of Alan Martin shortly after as they looked to build on their goal.

The pendulum swung back into Dumbarton’s favour after 68 minutes, when Garry Fleming threaded a through ball to Todd, with Joe Thomson agonisingly short of connecting with the ball for his second.

The game began to become end-to-end, with both teams looking to strike on the counter attack as legs began to tire.

And after 80 minutes, Dunfermline charged up from within their own half, with Lee Ashcroft setting up Cardle who laid on his pass to Clark.

Clark smashed his effort off Alan Martin’s near post but the rebound fell kindly to Cardle, who scored his fourth goal against the Sons this season hot on the heels of his opening day hat-trick in a 4-3 triumph.

But the Sons bounced back after another poor defensive mistake, Lewis Martin guilty this time after a poor clearing header allowed Todd to reclaim possession.

And Harvie delivered a long swinging cross into Fleming, who scored his first goal since the BetFred Cup games at the start of the season to send the Sons fans into jubilation.

The Sons looked reclaim the lead through Joe Thomson’s strike and several corners that followed, but they were unable to find the winner.

Dumbarton next travel to Paisley to face strugglers St Mirren on Saturday (3pm kick-off).

DUMBARTON: Martin, Docherty, J Thomson, Buchanan, Todd, Fleming, R Thomson, Stanton, Harvie, Barr, Smith.

Subs not used: Ewings, Pettigrew, McCallum, Wright.

DUNFERMLINE: Murdoch, Williamson, Martin, Ashcroft, Talbot, Paton (Cardle, 46), Geggan, Wedderburn, Higginbotham: Clark, Reilly (Moffat, 67)

Subs not used: McCabe, Galloway, Fordyce, McMullan, Hutton