A first-half penalty from John Baird got the hosts on their way, before Mark Durnan and Derek Lyle added goals two and three in the space of two second-half minutes.

Sons boss Ian Murray stuck with the 3-5-2 formation that served his side well in the Scottish Cup tie against Rangers the previous week. There were two personnel changes though—Scott Linton dropped out through injury, replaced by Kieran MacDonald, and Scott Taggart was preferred to Colin Nish.

It was Baird who was threatening early on for Queens, getting in behind the Dumbarton defence to pull the ball back. Luckily for Sons, Lyle was just too far ahead of the ball and the defence scrambled it clear.

Baird then had a shot himself, with his effort bouncing just wide of Jamie Ewings’ post.

Murray’s men were looking to use the pace of Archie Campbell to catch the hosts on the break. Had Mark McLaughlin and Scott Agnew supplied better balls for the former Morton man, he might have been in on goal.

Garry Fleming had Sons’ best opening after 10 minutes. He fired wide of the post from the edge of the area when he should have forced ‘keeper Zander Clark into a save.

From then on in, the first half was spent largely in Dumbarton’s half. Some slack defending awarded the home side a corner, and Durnan nearly made the visitors pay as he headed over the bar.

Lyle was close to opening the scoring mid-way through the half, as he met a cross at the back post. The striker’s volley looked goal bound, only for a crucial block from veteran defender Mark McLaughlin to keep the score-line level.

Queens were getting closer and Baird should have put them one up when he scooped the ball well over the bar from eight yards out with just Ewings to beat.

However, just after the half-hour mark, the Doonhammers got the goal they deserved.

Taggart was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area by referee Craig Thomson and he pointed to the spot.

It was Baird who would step up, and he blasted his penalty down the middle with Ewings diving to the left.

Sons looked for a response, and won a free-kick in a promising position. However, Clark came out to easily collect Agnew’s delivery.

Before the half was up, Garry Fleming, who was leading the Dumbarton line on his own, was lucky to only see yellow for a poor challenge in an area of the pitch where Queens weren’t threatening Sons.

The visitors started the second-half strongly, and forced Clark into a save almost immediately after the restart. Kieran MacDonald curled the ball across goal, making the home side’s number one pull off a decent save.

Sons also won a succession of corners and were seeing more of the ball, however the corners were dealt with and the possession didn’t materialise into chances.

Former Dumbarton man Iain Russell, a first half substitute, found space in the penalty box only for an important challenge from Lee Mair to block his route to goal.

Then, on 69 and 71 minutes, Queens put the game out of sight with a quick fire double.

First, the away side failed to clear a corner properly and were made to pay. The ball was lofted into the area by Mark Kerr, put across goal by Baird and was headed home from close range by Durnan.

On 71 minutes, the hosts caught Dumbarton on the break. Baird was again at the centre of everything Queens were doing. His cross was met by Lyle and he glanced his header past Ewings who had no chance.

The game petered out, however Sons did come close to a consolation.

Mitch Megginson forced Clark into a good save, as the big keeper got down well to push away his shot that looked like it would nestle in the bottom corner.

Megginson came close again just a couple of minutes later, in added time. This time he opted for a curling shot, but it missed the target.

Next up for Dumbarton is a vital game in Livingston, where a loss would see them slip into the relegation play-off spot.