Written by John - OTR Saturday, 09 February 2002 00:00

The "build-up" to this match (ie, a few pints down the pub) was enhanced by the Rock Bowling Club dishing out free sandwiches and pies before the game, always a good trick for keeping your customers coming back!

In the first few seconds of the match, John Wight let a passback go under his foot and had to scramble back to collect the ball. Luckily he had plenty of time but the incident did get the heart going!

Dumbarton did seem to playing better than when I last saw them (in December!) Sons were playing the ball on the deck much more than usual which was working in spells, but at times the players lack of passing ability was obvious.

Sons opened the scoring in the 26th minute. Dumbarton were passing the ball about in the midfield. There were no obvious openings so the ball was played back to Wight in goal. His kick found Martin Lauchlan who started on a run. He slipped a pass to Andy Brown who took the ball past a player in the penalty box and cut the ball across the goal where Paddy was on hand at the back post to knock it in.

The second goal also came from a clearance. The Elgin midfield didn't appear to want to go for the ball and it fell to Paddy. He put through a great pass to Lauchlan to took the ball by a defender, the goalie and another defender before slotting the ball home.

I'm not sure how the third goal came about. One minute we are laughing because Andy Brown somehow managed to stand on the ball on the wing and put the ball out. Seconds later Crilly got hold of the ball from the Elgin throw in and thrashed it into the net from 10 yards to make it three nil.

A few minutes later, the 3-0 lead was looking a bit dodgy. Sons hadn't been playing well in the second half. Elgin were holdng the ball in the Dumbarton half for long periods and things seemed to be going there way. Sons only managed a few attacks during this period. After one of them, Paddy Flannery, annoyed at missing a chance, kicked out at an Elgin defender. Whether it was just sheer frustration or aimed at the defender is unclear. But the ref had a good view of the incident and, having earlier booked Flannery for dissent (what else!), showed Paddy his second yellow. Shortly afterwards, Elgin pulled a goal back.

Elgin's challenge was held back by some stout defending by the back line and some solid handling by John Wight in goal, meaning that Sons climbed back into the promotion race.

The acid test will be if we can hold this position in the next few games which happen to be against our nearest rivals.