On The Rocks - A Dumbarton FC Website

So barring a very unlikey scoring fest by East Stirlingshire on Saturday, Sons have won the Division Three title.

You have to hand it Jim Chapman here, he eventually found the winning formula and it paid off with a fantastic finishing sequence, including breaking the club record for minutes without conceding a goal.

I must be honest here - I didn't think Sons would do it. In fact, at the start of the year I thought a play-off place would be unlikely. I'd had the misfortune of watching a turgid 1-1 draw at Stenhousemuir followed the week after by the 5-2 hammering by East Stirlingshire. We were so poor in that game and so thoroughly taken apart by the Shire that promotion seemed like a pipe dream.

After New Year, I was at another defeat by East Stirlingshire, this time by three goals to one, although to be fair, it was a much closer contest and the 'Shire were helped by an exceptionally soft penalty in the second half. Still, I didn't get that promotion feeling.

Victories against Albion Rovers and Elgin got March off to a good start but defeats by Montrose and Annan and a draw against Albion Rovers, again cast doubt over the team's promotion credentials.

At the start of April, I saw a Sons victory against Stenhousemuir who were at that point in freefall. It was not a convincing performance but it was a victory and a play-off place was now looking good. This was the second 2-0 win in the space of week and was the start of what could be called the promotion run. Sons beat Forfar and Berwick before being held to a 0-0 draw against the then leaders Cowdenbeath in a game that saw Cowden's normal attendance figure trebled with a vast travelling Sons support. If we had won that game we would have taken over at the top of the table but we knew now that a playoff place was guaranteed.

The following week, Sons did make it to the top after Montrose came from behind to beat Cowden and Sons thrashed Forfar 4-0.

And then we come to last Saturday. I couldn't make it to the game but was glued to the Sky Sports videprinter. Forfar had managed to put two past Cowdenbeath in the first 5 minutes which was just phenomenal. Unfortunately, Cowden managed to get the score level by half time as Dumbarton were cruising to victory against Elgin and the 'Shire were ahead against Albion Rovers. The Cowden-Forfar game finished level and both Sons and the 'Shire won meaning that barring the unlikely huge defeat/huge win scenario, Dumbarton cannot be overtaken with one game to go.

Congratulations to the team, the manager and all connected with the club. Roll on next season.

What would really finish of the season on a high would be Queen's Park staying up, meaning that John Gemmell and Andy Rogers would stay in Division Three. That would be just fantastic. Failing that Stenhousemuir going up would be OK, as Gemmell and Rogers would still be the Third and it gives me another local away game to go to.

Tomorrow, I'll be making it along to Ochilview to see the high-flying Sons play the even higher-flying East Stirlingshire.

The fact that Sons are still in contention in the league is something of a mystery to me. The last game I saw, way back in November, was against The Shire and Sons were on the receiving of an unbelievable 5-2 drubbing. Sons were absolutely shocking in that game and the match the previous week against Stenhousemuir. Any yet, we're still in there, sitting in fourth place, the last playoff position. The manager is obviously doing something right just not when I'm around.

Maybe I shouldn't tell him I'm coming!

If anyone was planning on make the long trek to Elgin tomorrow - don't bother. The game's off.

Jesus H Christ, that was just fuckin' awful. Even three days later it still feels a little surreal. I find myself wondering if it actually happened or was just one of the strange dreams that just feels real.

But it looks like it did. The BBC, the papers, the DFC website all agreee. East Stirlingshire humped Dumbarton by 5 goals to 2. To get a better idea of the scope of the defeat, it was 5-0 to the Shire with 3 minutes to go. Yes, you read that right, 5-0 to the Shire.

I'm not even going to bother going into the details. If you missed the game, count yourself lucky.

Well, I suppose I'd best do some sort of write up of the Stenhousemuir game.

Quite frankly, I was disappointed. The fact that this was a top of the table clash and that Dumbarton were unbeaten in eight games must have raised my expectations of the game. I was anticipating some better-than-third-division quality football, some fluid passing, you know, GOOD football. But it was the same old shite.

Of the new players on show (well new for me), only a couple stood out. Stevie Murray and Ben Gordon. Murray certainly has the tricks and the ability to play at a higher level. Ben Gordon was pretty solid at the back, especially in the second half.

The match was marred by the two early red cards. Stennie's red was totally deserved, I thought. The "tackle" would not have looked out of place in a Bruce Lee movie or on Soccer AM's Kung Fu section. In contrast, I think Sons were unlucky to have Wilson sent off. A few years ago, the tackle would have been described as a 50-50 ball. It looked and sounded like both players played the ball at the same time but the Stenny player's rolling around and the reaction of his teammates lead the referee to produce the red.

The remainder of the first half was largely forgettable, with the exception of Gordon Lennon's appalling distribution and crossing.

The second half was a little better. The aforementioned Gordon Lennon was involved in Stenny's goal. There was a bit of a stramash in front of goal following a cross. Gordon Lennon at the back of the six yard area, headered the ball backwards into what he probably thought was a safe area. Unfortunately there was a Stenny player lurking who teed the ball up for Brand to hit a cracking shot into the net.

Dumbarton stepped up their play after that and for while were really exerting pressure, winning corner upon corner. But at no point did they ever look like scoring from one.

In the final ten minutes, Murray got some reward for his play when his goal bound shot took a deflection, wrongfooting the keeper, and ending up in the net, giving Sons an fortuitous draw.

Tomorrow I will make it along (assuming that I'm not called out) to my first Sons game of the season, away to Stenhousemuir. Living in Falkirk, this is about as good as it gets in terms of travelling with Ochilview being just up the road. And as a bonus, Sons are playing there again next week as East Stirlingshire are groundsharing.

Since our 7-0 drubbing at the hands of St. Mirren way back in August, Sons have been on a roll and are unbeaten in their last eight games. Tomorrow we play the last team to beat us in the league, Stenhousemuir who are also top of the league. Should be cracker.

Our recent record against Stenny.

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.

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.