DUMBARTON’S sluggish start cost them dear at the Falkirk Stadium on Friday night as the Bairns picked up a 2-1 victory.

After their upsets over Hibs and St Mirren failed to make the cut on BBC’s Sportscene, this was a chance for this new look Sons squad to show Scotland what they can do in front of the live TV cameras as they made their season debut on BBC Alba.

But it looked like the away side were caught with a touch of stage fright early on as Blair Alston and Craig Sibbald put Peter Houston’s side two up after just 14 minutes. Darren Barr pulled one back for Sons against his former club. However it would prove to be no more than a consolation.

Dumbarton manager Stevie Aitken made two changes from the side which suffered defeat at the hands of Queen of the South last weekend. New signing Frazer Wright went straight into the team and on-loan St Johnstone midfielder Scott Brown got his first Sons start.

They replaced Steven Craig and Scott Taggart, Taggart might feel perturbed to lose his place having done very little wrong at right back in the first three league outings.

The match was only four minutes old when Falkirk hit the front. Mark Docherty allowed David Smith to drift inside from the right and send a across into the box. Gregor Buchanan’s landed at Kevin Cawley but the former Alloa man could only divert it to Blair Alston who struck a lovely half volley in off the bar from the left side of the box.

The home side were dealt a blow after taking the lead when Mark Kerr was subbed due to an injury, he was replaced by Aaron Muirhead.

It didn’t effect the Bairns though as they doubled their lead after 14 minutes with another terrific strike. Luke Leahy slipped in Craig Sibbald on the left, The midfielder turned past Cawley and evaded Barr before firing into the top right corner from the edge of the box.

It was the start of nightmares for the travelling Sons support, however Aitken’s men responded. After some strong hold up play from Garry Fleming he sprayed the ball out to Mark Docherty on the left. The full back’s cross was a good and Leahy was forced to put it behind. Willie Gibson’s corner was headed back across goal by Gregor Buchanan and Darren Barr nodded past former Sons keeper Danny Rogers in the Falkirk goal.

Rogers, the Aberdeen keeper who spent a successful loan spell at Dumbarton last season, was forced into action moments later when Gibson cut in from the left to fire in a low drive from 20 yards, but Rogers was able to push it away.

Neither keeper was duly concerned for the rest of the half and Sons were right back in a game that had looked like it would get away from them.

Darren Barr, playing at right back as Wright took a centre back spot, won a corner early in the second half. Gibson’s delivery was cleared only as far as Brown whose effort from distance went wide.

Gibson was next to try his luck, seeing Rogers just off his line he attempted an audacious chip but the ball didn’t drop quickly enough and sailed over.

Dumbarton had started the second half with purpose. Grant Gallagher played in Cawley moments later, the forward took the ball well and turned goalwards, his strike was palmed away by Rogers and fell to Gallagher. However the ball wouldn’t come down quick enough for him and under pressure from Will Vaulks he couldn’t get enough purchase on his shot.

It was a match where clear cut chances were at a premium but Dumbarton were proving more than a match for full-time opposition once again. Aitken introduced Steven Craig on the hour mark to join Fleming in attack, he took the place of Cawley.

Sons had a golden opportunity to level with 20 minutes to go. Fleming took the ball from Mark Brown way back in the right back position, he turned Leahy brilliantly a drove into midfield before switching to Docherty, who fed Gibson. The winger did well to pass Will Vaulks and hit the byline, his cross looked nearly perfect for Gallagher to head home but it was a fraction behind him and he couldn’t get over the header.

Gallagher’s eyes would light up again soon after, he latched on to a flick on from Fleming, muscling Leahy off the ball and was through on goal. The referee adjudged the midfielder to have fouled Leahy however, which looked a touch harsh on the Sons man.

Dumbarton threw some dangerous crosses into the box in the closing stages but the Bairns’ back line were able to deal with them. Clinical finishing from Falkirk in the opening period proved to be the difference.