Dumbarton manager Stevie Aitken admits he could not have asked for a better start after his side kicked off their season with a 2-0 win against East Fife.

Andy Dowie and Calum Gallagher nodded second half goals as the Sons comfortably dismissed the threat of the Fifers to clinch maximum points on the opening day.

That was despite a slow start to the game, which Aitken did acknowledge. He said: “On the first game of the season it’s all about trying to get points on the board.

“It was a solid performance away from home, three points and a clean sheet so there’s not much I can complain about. You can’t ask for a better start than that.

“We were a bit sloppy at the start and we never got going, the change of shape may have thrown the players a bit.

“In the first 20 minutes we were a wee bit fortunate but after that I felt we were comfortable.”

Sons started the game in a 4-4-2 diamond shape, with Michael Paton and Kyle Hutton at the top and bottom of the diamond respectively.

Aitken is on record saying that he wants to attack teams this season, and is grateful to have a number of options that allow as many players as possible to get forward.

He said: “We’re just looking at different areas and trying to get more men up the park.

“Over the years scoring goals has been different, but that was probably down to the league we were in. We couldn’t go and attack teams like we can this season.

“It’s good to have the options of 4-4-2, 4-3-3 and when Ross Perry comes back we’ll look at three at the back which still gives us two strikers up the park.

“Getting more players up the park is what we want to try and do and it’s good to have that flexibility.

“These things can take time, though, but the more games we play in the shape we want the more the players can get used to it and it’ll stand us in good stead.”