DUMBARTON striker Garry Fleming insists he is happy to play anywhere manager Stevie Aitken sees fit if it keeps him in the team.

Fleming has been a regular starter under Aitken, playing as the team’s main striker early in the season, with the arrival of Steven Craig seeing him drop deeper and playing just off the front. In Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Alloa fleming started wide right before being moved up front.

Last season under Ian Murray, Fleming was asked to play in a number of positions, finding himself out wide at times and even in a holding midfield role.

The forward’s versatility has been of great benefit to Sons since he joined the club in 2012, Fleming is able to swap positions during a game without it affecting his own performance.

And Fleming admits he is happy to do a job for boss Stevie Aitken wherever he has to play.

He said: “I like both positions, I like playing up front because I like to battle with the defenders but I also like dropping deeper to get involved in the play.

“It doesn’t bother me, as long as I’m playing.

“The new gaffer has had me playing through the middle a lot more. Whereas under Ian Murray I played all different positions, I’ve said to the new gaffer that I’m happy to play anywhere to help the team, I think that gives the gaffer a good option.” One of Aitken’s first moves as Dumbarton boss was to secure the use of Benburb FC’s pitch for training, Sons has previously been training at Toryglen on a quarter pitch, limiting tactical work.

Fleming insists the team is now seeing the benefits of the extra tactical work done in their preparations.

He said: “I think it has made a difference. We have been working on shape, having the full pitch makes it easy enough to do that. Whereas at Toryglen on a Thursday night we only had a quarter of a pitch so we couldn’t really work on things.

“The training just now lets the boys see how the gaffer wants us to set up and we can go through the drills.” Fleming opened his Sons' account for the season in the Petrofac Cup victory over Morton at Cappielow, executing a deft lob to make it 3-0, proving to be the winner as Morton pulled two goals back.

On his return to Cappielow on league duty this Saturday, Fleming is hoping to add to his goal tally of two as he bids for his first ever season reaching double figures for Dumbarton.

Regardless of who gets the goals, Fleming is under no illusions as to the importance of a game against a team tipped to be battling with Sons near the bottom of the table.

He said: “You need to try and take maximum points against the teams who might be around you, although the gaffer has built a good enough squad and we have shown we can compete with the bigger teams in the league.”