Sons fail to sparkle again
Published 5 Oct 2010 10:00
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POOR DISPLAY: Sons' goalscorer Paul Maxwell evades an Airdrie defender
Dumbarton........1
Airdrie United....3
DUMBARTON’S woes continue as they slumped to another home defeat on Saturday.
Airdrie United’s victory owed as much to Dumbarton’s frailties as their own qualities.
For 50 minutes the game was a fairly sterile affair until mistakes began to creep in and the visitors took two opportunities.
The Sons rallied with a goal of their own from Paul Maxwell but, before they could get a foothold in the game, the Diamonds wrapped up the points with a third strike.
The first half-hour produced nothing of note apart from an injury to Stephen Grindlay, following a challenge from Scott Gemmill.
Then, the spectators were treated to a rush of chances.
Andy Geggan and Scott Chaplain combined inside the penalty area to produce a chance for Derek Carcary but he snatched at the opportunity and lifted the ball over the bar from the penalty spot.
Immediately afterwards, an Allan Cook cross was mis-headed into the path of Carcary but he could not gain sufficient power to trouble United keeper Mark Ridgers.
At the other end, Cook mis-cued a clearance into the path of Phillip Johnston who set up Gemmill, but Grindlay pulled off a fine save.
Martin McNiff produced a fine pass into the path of Carcary but again his effort was weak. As the break approached Maxwell had a brace of chances, the first of which Ridgers saved and the second he pushed wide of the post.
Five minutes into the second half, a Cook corner picked out Ben Gordon but his header went just wide.
Within a minute, the visitors took the lead when Ryan McCord picked up a loose ball, drove into the box and drilled a low shot wide of Grindlay.
Carcary had an opportunity to respond but couldn’t find the required power after a good turn. On the hour mark Dumbarton fell 2-0 behind after a comedy of errors.
The home defence had three opportunities to clear but failed to do so and after Grindlay parried a Anthony Watt effort, but the ball fell to Wallace, all alone inside the six yard box and he lashed the ball high into the net.
Dumbarton threw themselves a lifeline on 67 minutes when Gordon headed on a Cook free-kick and Maxwell bundled the ball home from close in for his first goal for the club.
Sons pushed forward in search of the equaliser, enjoying spells of possession but failing to create a clear chance.
And they paid the penalty in 74 minutes when a long ball out of defence found Gemmill, who advanced as the Sons’ defence claimed offside, rounded Grindlay and ran on to score easily to seal the points
With the international break this weekend, Dumbarton can prepare for a trip to Peterhead which, even this early in the season, is a six pointer.
Dumbarton: Grindlay, Chisholm, S Smith (Chaplain 28), McManus, Gordon, McNiff, Geggan, (Brannan 62) McStay, Maxwell 60, Carcary, (Gilhaney 62), Cook. Subs not used: Campbell, White.
This article appeared in Dumbarton & Vale of Leven Reporter 05 Oct 10
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