DUMBARTON boss Jim Duffy cursed his sides injury luck as Falkirk went top of League One with a 3-0 win at the C&G Systems Stadium on Tuesday night.

Callumn Morrison and Blair Alston had the Bairns firmly in control at the break before Aidan Connolly added a third to as Sons woes continued with Rico Quitingo and Ryan McGeever forced off during the defeat whilst Ross Forbes and Chris Hamilton missed out completely.

Duffy had nothing but admiration for his players for the way they continue to perform, and admits he feels the result was harsh on his side.

He said: “I thought it was a competitive game and the scoreline was very healthy for Falkirk but I don’t know if it reflected the whole game.

“I’m not saying we deserved to win, Falkirk thoroughly deserved to win there’s absolutely no doubt about that, but I felt in large parts of the game we competed really well and were every bit as much in the game.

“The last goal is an error but up until then we had two or three really good chances to score.

“The moments that matter are what happens in the box and that’s the difference. You can have good periods of play but you’ve got to be clinical when you get the chance and be switched on defensively, and in those two areas Falkirk were better.

“We just keep getting battered with injuries. It’s just constant so we keep having to shift players around, and you’re playing a top team with really good players.

“We’re having to keep asking players to move into different positions and put in a shift for the team, to the detriment of themselves really because they’re not playing in their natural positions.

“All I can do is praise the players because their attitude is brilliant and their commitment level is brilliant.

“They’re willing to put themselves in difficult positions to play for the team and do the best for the team so all credit to them.”

Duffy was forced into two changes from the side that lost in Peterhead on Saturday as Hamilton and Forbes dropped out with Ruaridh Langan and Rico Quitongo coming in – there was better news however as PJ Crossan returned as a substitute after a number of weeks out with a muscular problem.

The Dumbarton boss had criticised his side in recent weeks of starting games slowly as they had conceded goals in the opening twenty minutes of the last four games.

Sons couldn’t be accused of not coming out of the blocks here as they started relatively well, however they would still find themselves behind after sixteen minutes.

Just as he did in the Betfred Cup two weeks ago, Callumn Morrison touched the ball into the net at the back post following a superb cross from Blair Alston to put the visitors ahead.

Sons then gave up possession cheaply on the edge of their own box which created an opening for Alston with his effort crashing off the bar before Robbie Leitch drove the ball wide from an acute angle from the follow up.

Not to be denied for much longer, Alston curled a free-kick over the wall and into the far corner to extend the Bairns lead just after the half hour and leave Dumbarton with a mountain to climb against their undefeated opponents.

It was by no means one way traffic, however Sons were struggling to create chances against the experienced and organised Falkirk defence and Duffy’s side had it all to do in the second-half.

Dumbarton needed an early goal to get back into the game and couldn’t have come much closer on the hour.

Substitutes Crossan and Denny Johnstone combined with the latter having a shot come off the post, possibly via the hand of goalkeeper PJ Morrison.

The game was wrapped up on 76 minutes when Aidan Connolly picked up on Sam Wardrop’s error and rounded Kevin Dabrowski to make it three.

Johnstone found himself through on goal again with just a few minutes to go, and if there was any doubt that Morrison had denied him earlier on, the Motherwell loanee definitely got a hand to this strike to push it around the post.

Sons are without a game this weekend as this fixture had been rescheduled due to the Bairns involvement in the Betfred Cup and are back in action next Saturday against Partick Thistle at Firhill.