On The Rocks - A Dumbarton FC Website

Written by Administrator Tuesday, 16 September 2008 12:00

After a pretty dismal few weeks, Sons recorded their second away of the season with an professional performance against Albion Rovers at Cliftonhell.

Ross Clark scored his third goal of the season after 8 minutes with a 30-yarder. Summer signing Ben Gordon got Sons' second after 18 minutes with new boy Paul McLeod scoring the third with a 60th minute penalty.

The win sees Dumbarton climb to 5th place in the division.

Next up are Cowdenbeath who visit the rock on Saturday the 20th. Cowdenbeath are currently in second place so it should be a good game. I might even make it along.

Written by Administrator Wednesday, 13 August 2008 13:45

So, Sons came home with a point from their trip to Elgin to maintain their unbeaten streak in the league - nobody's beaten us and we've beaten nobody. Smashing. Anybody else getting a bad feeling about the rest of the season?

In other news, the second round draw for the League Cup (aka the Co-operative Insurance Cup) was made and Dumbarton were drawn away to the Pride of Paisley, St. Mirren. What a crappy draw for both teams. St. Mirren are obviously going to gub us but they're not of a high enough calibre to attract a large travelling of Sons fans. And similarily, St. Mirren fans are hardly going to come out in droves to watch a walk-in-park win.

Now I'm sure the game will attact a decent away support but how many fans will (quite rightly in my opinion) balk at paying the £18?

For those that are going, the match will be played on Tuesday August 26th with a 7.45pm kick off.

Written by Administrator Wednesday, 06 August 2008 10:20

Sons booked a place in the second round of the Co-operative Insurance League Cup with a dramatic 5-4 penalty win over newcomers Annan Athletic at the Rock.

Neither side managed to score during the regulation ninety minutes and it was Annan who took the lead in the 103rd minute with a penalty which saw Andy Geggan being sent off. However, Sons equalised in the 115th minute thanks to Ray Logan's diving header.

Sons edged the win in the penalty shoot out with Stevie Murray scoring the match winner after Sons' keeper Dave McEwan saved Annan's fifth penalty.

Written by Administrator Tuesday, 05 August 2008 10:43

Dumbarton started their league campaign with a 1-1 draw with Montrose and so are currently unbeaten in the league. Woo hoo! Ross Clark was the scorer from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute in a physical encounter which saw Mark Canning stretchered off.

Tonight's Co-operative Insurance Cup game looks like it could be a tough one too. Annan Athletic gave Cowdenbeath a 4-1 humping on the opening day, a cracking result for their first senior outing, and Sons have injury doubts over Canning, Derek Carcary and Andy Geggan.

Kick off is 7.30pm.

Written by Administrator Wednesday, 30 July 2008 17:12

With new season upon us here is a list of the donkeys that have been released and the fresh, new donkeys brought in. Now you may think it's a bit harsh labelling the new guys as donkeys but if they were any good they wouldn't be playing for Dumbarton, would they?

Donkeys Out

• Chris Gentile
• Chris Hamilton
• Tommy Coyne
• Craig Potter
• Brian McPhee
• Anton Nugent
• David Craig
• Ryan Russell
• Michael Stokes
• David McNaught
• David Crawford
• Peter Shaw

Can't say I disagree with any on that list.

Donkeys In

• Mark McGeown, goalkeeper (Ayr United)
• Iain Chisholm, midfielder (Albion Rovers)
• Gary Wilson, defender (Pollok)
• David Gray, midfielder (Kilbirnie)
• David McEwan, goalkeeper (Derry City)
• Derek Carcary, forward (Raith Rovers)
• Michael Dunlop, defender (Queen's Park)
• Paul Keegan, forward (Partick Thistle)
• Alan Gourlay, striker (Vale of Leven)
• Ross Clark, defender (Alloa Athletic)
• Raymond Logan, midfielder (Pollok)
• Ben Gordon (Strathclyde University)

Written by Administrator Tuesday, 29 July 2008 12:29

It only seems like yesterday that Season 2007/2008 drew to a close. Sons first competitive game against Airdrie Utd caught me by surprise. I wasn't aware there was a game on!

Anyway, in true Sons fashaion, Dumbarton blew a two goal half time lead to lose 3-2 in the first round of the Challenge Cup.

Written by Administrator Saturday, 22 March 2008 18:24

The last time I visited Ochilview I witnessed one of the most excruciatingly boring games I had ever seen. Things were better today, but not by much.

The playing personnel had certainly changed since Jim Chapman took over and as this was my first game since my last visit to Stenny there were lots of new faces. I was impressed by centre half Gordon Lennon. He barely put a foot wrong during the 90 minutes and he marshalled the defence very well. But his defensive partner, Mick O'Byrne, was pretty average I thought.

Along with the new faces with still have some of the old. Tommy Coyne must be one of the most frustrating players I have ever seen, even more than Robert Docherty. He works his socks off during the game but his finishing is just rubbish. And why do we still have Chris Gentile on the books?

Anyway, on to the game. The first half was all Sons. I mean total dominance. Unfortunately there was only one goal to show for it, when Andy Geggan bulleted a header past the keeper from a cross by triallist Kenny Wright.

The second half was completely the opposite. Stenny had control of the midfield for vast quantities of the time. Luckily they only had one goal to show for their efforts. Sub Jose Quitongo skinned Gentile on the wing and whipped over a cross that the Sons defence failed to get to. Ian Harty got to it first and despite keeper Crawford's great reactions the ball went in off the crossbar. A draw was probably a fair result.

Written by Administrator Wednesday, 27 February 2008 10:24

As you've probably gathered, I've pretty much lost interest in the Sons this season. Quite frankly we are utter pish and I can't be arsed travelling through on the train, spending whatever is these days for the privilege of standing and then watching Sons getting humped by whichever team of diddies have turned up to play us.

I've been there and down that several times in the past. And, just now, I've got better things to do with my time. So I'll probably not be at The Rock at all this season. I will though drag my sorry arse to the "local" away games, like the Shire and Stenhousemuir in a couple of weeks time.

Hopefully, we'll have dragged ourselves up from last place in the division, a position we now occupy thanks to Forfar's win on Tuesday night.

Written by Administrator Monday, 17 September 2007 11:56

Sorry for the lack of updates but time has been short. The house and back garden have been getting a makeover, which was tiring and very detrimental to my bank balance.

Anyway, on the Dumbarton front, things are rolling along in their usual fashion. A win here, a defeat there. We're not looking like a team that's going to be challenging for promotion but there's nothing new about that.

On Saturday, Sons went down at home to Stenhousemuir. I saw the first goal go through on the Sky Sports vidiprinter after three minutes and thought "Excellent. An early goal. Should be able to control the game". But one minute later Stenny equalised and it was "Shite, we're going to get beat". Which indeed we did. But not according the Scotland on Sunday. Remarkably, their match report has Dumbarton and Stenny playing out a 1-1 draw. Here's the full report below before they change it. Here's the link

"DUMBARTON 1 STENHOUSEMUIR 1

DUMBARTON and Stenhousemuir both lost ground in the Third Division table, playing out a lacklustre 1-1 draw.

Robert Campbell gave the Sons an early lead after just three minutes. He was set up by Brian McPhee, making his debut after missing the start of the season through injury. McPhee flicked the ball into the path of Campbell who bundled home from a couple of yards.

But the lead was short-lived as Steven Hampshire equalised for Stenny less than 60 seconds later. Paul Tyrell launched the ball in the box and Hampshire chipped it into the goal.

Dumbarton would have taken the lead again had it not been for some excellent goalkeeping from John Hillcoat and at the other end Hampshire could have snatched a win for the visitors but his last-minute effort came off the post."

Pretty poor performance for Scotland's leading quality Sunday newspaper, eh

Written by Administrator Wednesday, 15 August 2007 10:31

God, where do you start? Beaten by East Stirlingshire twice in 4 days....and deservedly so. Shire were the better team on both occasions.

On Saturday, despite the leaky defence, it was Sons' poor finishing that cost us the game. We made plenty of chances. David McFarlane, the best player on the park by a country mile, had a couple of chances that he really should have put away as did Fergus Tiernan, who ought to have a hat trick. To give Shire credit, they are a much improved side this year. At times during the second half they were passing the ball about with consummate ease and with a small stretch of the imagination it could have been the all white Real Madrid you were watching instead of the all white Shire.

Last night's game was a travesty. At least on Saturday it was Sons' best team against Shire's best team. Last night, it was Sons' reserves against Shire's reserves for which we had to pay nine quid to see. An absolute disgrace. I'll definitely be sending in my complaint to DFC.

The football itself was, to put it mildly, utter shite. We couldn't pass. We could't track players. We couldn't do fuck all. Anton Nugent in goal was a very busy man indeed and made several good and a couple of excellent saves. Without him Shire could easily have been into double figures. Nugent and the scorer of both goals, Robert Campbell, were the only players with passmarks.

Now you may think I being a bit harsh here after all over half the team were from the under-19 squad. But I don't think I am. I paid £18 for myself and girlfriend to watch Sons play in a national cup competition. Not a Stirlingshire Cup game. Not a preseason friendly. Not a testimonial. A national cup competition. I expect to see a strong team especially when I am being charged the same price as I paid on Saturday. The team that was put on the field was not worthy. They were crap.

Before I go, here are a selection of songs sung by the Shire fans over the last two games. Obviously going from not winning a home game for over 11 months to winning two in a row against Sons is a joyful experience. And they were rubbing it in goooood.

A Selection of Shire Songs

Where's your west coast banter

from Saturday after the Sons' support went a bit quiet after going behind

One number 8

From Tuesday's game. Their number 8, new signing Sean Simpson, had a great game.

We're not easy

Hey, if you had played two games back to back against Sons and humped them, wouldn't you want to?

Shire are having a party

From Tuesday's game after going 3-2 up. If Gerry doesn't get the team winning he'll be going to the Job Centre.