Six-goal Salvo sinks Dumbarton

Published 31 Aug 2010 09:30 0 Comments

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East Fife........6

Dumbarton....0

A DISASTROUS day at Methil against a rampant East Fife side left Dumbarton rooted to the bottom of the Second Division.

The hammering was the Sons fourth straight league defeat in a row as their difficult start to the season continues.

The only saving grace is the fact that next Saturday is a free week due to the international break.

Dumbarton will need all the time available to iron out the weaknesses exposed by this display.

East Fife took the initiative from the first whistle and thoroughly deserved the victory as on-loan Hibs striker Kurtis Byrne fired home a hat-trick.

But it could even have been worse.

Inside the first minute Lloyd Young nearly scored for the home side but he fired over when well placed.

Shortly after Johnstone chased a long ball and back-heeled to Bobby Linn who shot wide.

Linn managed to threaten again before East Fife took the lead in 14 minutes. From a corner on the right, the Sons failed to clear and Young forced the ball home. Dumbarton failed to respond and Linn shot across goal and Paul Nugent held off Hislop as he prepared to shoot.

Midway through the half the visitors forced their only real opportunity of the game when Graham Wilson set up Derek Carcary but he couldn’t find the telling finish.

New signing Mark Gilhaney, who was brought in from Alloa, did produce a quality corner, but players from both sides let it cross the penalty area untouched.

Ten minutes from the break the lead was doubled. An interchange between Linn and Byrne set up a chance for the latter and he finished with aplomb.

After the break the same two players combined again and for the second time Byrne netted. In between times, Steven Hislop headed over when he should have done better.

Jim Chapman made a double substitution at the interval but they made little difference.

The opening 10 minutes were evenly contested with Carcary half hitting a shot and Smith firing over from 25 yards.

On 58 minutes the Fifers sealed victory with the easiest of goals.

Scot Durie broke down the left and his inch perfect cross was turned home from four yards by Linn.

East Fife were passing the ball well but the Dumbarton defence had just disintegrated.

Twenty minutes from time the Fifers grabbed another when two defenders bought a Hislop dummy, allowing the ball to run to Byrne who had all the time he needed to control and pick his spot in the top corner to complete his hat-trick.

The scoring was completed eight minutes from time when man of the match Linn played a perfect defence splitting pass to Robert Sloan who ran on to beat Stephen Grindlay comfortably.

Dumbarton had the game’s last opportunity. But, in keeping with the performance, Jon McShane failed to find the purchase required to trouble Brown.

Dumbarton: Grindlay, Nugent, Creaney, McManus, Gordon, McStay (Chaplain, 46), Geggan, Gilhaney, McShane, Carcary, Wilson (Smith, 46) Subs not used: Cook, Maxwell, White.

This article appeared in Dumbarton & Vale of Leven Reporter 31 Aug 10

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