Dumbarton’s miserable start to 2020 continued on Saturday as Peterhead ran out 1-0 winners at Balmoor.

Ben Armour, who spent part of last season on loan at Dumbarton, netted the winner with eight minutes to go as Sons lost by a goal in the North for the second week in a row.

There were three changes from last week’s team that battled against Aberdeen last weekend as Callum Wilson, Kyle Hutton and Lewis Crawford were replaced by Ryan Tierney, Stuart Carswell and Sam Wardrop - fresh from signing on loan from Dundee United.

Wardrop is a name that will be familiar to Sons fans as the right-back was with the club on loan from Celtic at the beginning of the 2017/18 season and became a popular figure at the Rock.

Conor Scullion dropped out of the squad completely with boss Jim Duffy confirming post-match that the winger’s contract had come to an end and would not be renewed.

READ MORE: Jim Duffy heaps praise on his Dumbarton side after they push Aberdeen all the way in narrow cup defeat

There were chances for both sides in the opening few minutes – for Sons, Joe McKee drove forward from midfield with his shot from the edge of the box being pushed behind by goalkeeper Greg Fleming.

At the other end, Derek Lyle’s glancing header came off the post and bounced away to safety.

The chances didn’t exactly keep coming despite the bright start to the game, with the match very much being played in the middle of the park at the breezy Balmoor.

PJ Crossan did have a couple of opportunities for Dumbarton, but he saw one effort deflected onto the side netting and another saved by the goalkeeper’s legs as the opening period petered out with very few other goalscoring chances.

And in the second-half there would be even fewer openings for the Sons as the hosts began to take control of the game.

The wind continued and Dumbarton never really managed to keep a hold of the ball and dominate the midfield as they would have hoped.

Peterhead were awarded a penalty just before the hour mark after a clumsy challenge from Carswell with veteran striker Lyle, who has tormented Sons on more than one occasion in the past, stepping up only to blaze his spot-kick over the bar.

READ MORE: Dond youngster Lewis Crawford hoping to cement spot in Jim Duffy's squad

Dumbarton then nearly put the ball in their own net with Morgyn Neill and Conor Brennan both challenging for the same ball that then trickled towards the goal before Wardrop appeared to hook it off the line.

Jack Leitch would then smash an effort off the crossbar from a tight angle and it began to look like Duffy’s side may escape with a point with some brave defending on show from the Sons at times.

There were a couple of breaks for Dumbarton up the other end, but Fleming was never under any real pressure as McKee fizzed an effort wide.

The decisive goal arrived after 82 minutes as Armour reacted quickest to lash the ball into the net after Brennan had spilled Leitch’s initial effort.

There was to be no grandstand finish as the hosts held out comfortably to ensure that Dumbarton’s hunt for their first points, and goal, in 2020 continued.

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