DUMBARTON manager Stevie Aitken insists his side have not had the credit they deserve for their league form so far this season.

As one of only two part-time teams in the SPFL Championship this season, many would have fancied Sons to be battling the drop for much of the season.

However they currently sit six points clear of the team in the relegation play-off spot, Livingston, having played a game less than them, and just three behind sixth-placed Morton.

Sons have largely kept clear of the bottom two places while keeping tabs on teams ahead of them with bigger budgets such as Morton, St Mirren, Raith Rovers and Queen of the South.

Aitken insists his players deserve more credit for their current position.

He said: “I think our results have went under the radar a bit. People look at the league and say Dumbarton and Alloa are the two part-time teams so should be down there. In terms of resources that is probably right.

“I think the focus in this division is on the teams at the top a fair bit and teams like Raith Rovers and Morton have had publicity because they’ve been up in that final promotion play-off spot.

“But we’ve clawed points back on them. The fact that we’re so close to teams like Raith and Queen of the South at this stage of the season is a great achievement.

“We’re six points off Raith in fourth place, so we have to look at that and not what is behind us.”

Aitken last week completed his January transfer business with the signing of striker Christian Nade from Hamilton Accies last week, adding to the loan signing of winger Kler Heh from Sheffield United.

Those deals, as well as Jamie Lindsay, Darren Barr and Steven Saunders extending their stay at the Rock and the arrival of Rangers winger Tom Walsh on loan, give Aitken the belief that his Sons squad is the strongest its been.

He said: “We had been chasing Christian for five or six weeks. We tried to get him in the summer as well but he got a full-time offer in the Premier League so that was too good to turn down.

“We managed to pitch ourselves in the right way, we had a lot of meetings with his agent and sold what we are trying to achieve to him and I think he could be the final piece in the jigsaw.

“Young Kler has come in and it’s a real opportunity for him to show what he can do in first-team football. I think the fans will like what they see from him. He’s very direct and very quick.

“The squad is looking better than it did at the start of January and the start of the season so I’m delighted with that.

“That’s us in terms of signings, we’re very happy with what we’ve done, barring any serious injuries.”

Meanwhile Sons midfielder Jamie Lindsay will not be out for long after undergoing a minor foot operation. He is a possibility for Saturday's clash at Morton but should definitely be back for the trip to St Mirren the next week.