Written by John - OTR Saturday, 14 March 1998 00:00

Dumbarton took the three points comfortably to preserve their unbeaten record over QP this season.

The first goal, in the 21st minute, was a bit controversial. Willie Wilson took a knock and was lying on all fours on the half way line right on the near side touchline. Play carried on for about 20 seconds after Wilson took the knock until Stephen Jack decided to play the ball out. But he appeared to mis-hit it and the ball went straight to the prone Willie Wilson. As the ball came to him, Wilson stood up, controlled the ball with his first touch and played the ball down the line with his second. Grace ran on the ball, took it into the penalty box and lobbed the keeper to make it one-nil. Unsurprisingly, the home fans were not too happy with Wilson's miraculous recovery and proceeded to boo him at every opportunity for the remainder of the first half.

Three minutes later a long ball through the middle left a Dumbarton player, Ross McCuaig I think, one-on-one with the keeper. The Queen's keeper took the Sons player down and the referee awarded a penalty which Sharp slotted away with ease. So it was 2-0 and Dumbarton had hardly been troubled by what was a very poor Queen's Park side.

In the second half Dumbarton could have scored more, but the team's finishing was the usual poor quality. Grace, in particular, missed a sitter from 6 yards. McKinnon came on for the trialist Dalyrmple who had an excellent game and he came close on a couple of occasions.

The game was effectively sewn up when a Queen's Park player managed to get himself set off in strange circumstances. He committed a foul and was booked for talking back to the referee. As he was walking back he must have continued mouthing off. The ref brandished a second yellow and a red and the Queen's player just kept on walking back to the Portacabin !

It was a good, not outstanding performance, by the Sons. But they should have scored many more.