Dumbarton fought back from a goal behind on three occasions to come out victorious against Forfar Athletic in a memorable encounter at Station Park on Saturday.
Michael Travis had the hosts ahead before Joe McKee’s equaliser, only for Travis to net his second shortly after.
PJ Crossan levelled for Dumbarton on the stroke of half-time but Dale Hilson’s penalty in added time ensured that the Loons would go into the second period a goal to the good.
A wonder strike from Reghan Tumlity tied the scores once more before Sons eventually edged in front thanks to Crossan’s second of the afternoon.
There were two changes made after the lacklustre display against Montrose last weekend, with Matthew Shiels and Ruaridh Langan replacing Stefan McCluskey and Crossan, but the game was only a couple of minutes old when Forfar took the lead.
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Conor Brennan saved from Murray Mackintosh’s angled effort, but could only push the ball as far as Travis who had the simplest of tasks to tap into the empty net for the opener.
Sons responded well and got the first equaliser of the afternoon 20 minutes after falling behind when McKee’s drilled effort took a deflection off Travis, which was just enough to take the ball away from Marc McCallum as the shot nestled in the bottom corner.
And the Loons skipper was again involved when his side regained the lead, with his towering header on 29 minutes giving Brennan no chance.
Sons boss Jim Duffy was dealt a blow when top scorer Isaac Layne, who this week signed an extended deal until the end of the season, hobbled off and was replaced by Crossan.
But it didn’t take long for the substitute to make his mark on the game as he smashed the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box moments before half-time.
Dumbarton would have expected to go into the break on level terms, but Adam Frizzell bundled over Callum Tapping in the penalty box in added time at the end of the half which allowed Hilson the chance to put the hosts ahead for a third time, which he confidently took.
Duffy’s side equalised for a third time just before the hour mark and it was a goal of high quality.
Kyle Hutton picked out the forward run of Tumlity, and the Morton loanee fired in an unstoppable volley from the edge of the box that crashed off the bar on the way in.
Crossan was doing well to stretch the game and offer Sons an out ball on the counter, which is exactly how the fourth goal arrived on 73 minutes.
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The former Celtic youngster looked to have no option on the right-hand side, but he cleverly cut in and shot from the edge of the box.
His effort crashed off the post and then fortuitously hit McCallum on the back before trickling over the line.
Forfar pushed for an equaliser late on but they couldn’t quite get the break of the ball or find one, with Hilson’s looping volley going over the bar the closest they came as Sons held out for a crucial three points in a memorable seven-goal thriller.
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