Saturday 19th November 2022
DUMBARTON were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Forfar Athletic today.
After a resounding win at Elgin last week, Sons’ fans’ hopes were high of continuing the winning run.
But the afternoon got off to a disastrous start in only four minutes when a Roberto Nditi cross was diverted into the net by an unfortunate Sons player’s boot.
The response from the home side was good – indeed Aron Lynas almost had his second goal in a row with a volley from a corner. However, Forfar cleared the ball off the line.
Dumbarton battled on and got their reward five minutes from half time when a shot from marksmanof the moment Gregg Wylde shot bent into the net.
Early in the second half, Sons were further boosted when Kyle Hutton was shown a red card and sent off on his return to his former ground after collecting a second booking.
Sons failed to make that count, though, and poor defending by the home side allowed Forfar a second goal on 62 minutes, Stefan McCluskey finishing from close range.
However, within less than a minute Dumbarton were all square again. A delightful ball across goal from Joe McKee was finished off by David Wilson (pictured here).
With just two minutes left, Ally Love spun and shot from the edge of the area with the keeper motionless, but the ball rolled against the post to safety.
Dumbarton are away from home next week, playing Clyde in round three of the Scottish Cup.
Attractions to the Dumbarton Football Club vs Forfar Athletic today included reduced cost of entry – £10. A piper in Bar 72 beforehand.
A poem by Stephen Watt in the Sons Supporters Trust match programme. A club shop stocked with goodies for Christmas and all Premier League matches off in anticipation of the start of the World Cup.
And Orla Docherty meeting her favourite Sons player Finlay Gray Her dad, Chris, said: “We could have been doing with the wee man today but alas he was injured. A draw for the Sons today, but that was a hard watch in the freezing cauld…..still top of the league at least 
.”
Meanwhile, there was a celebrity visitor at the Sons’ ground today when Scottish Labour Party leader Anas Sarwar turned up with Dumbarton Labour MSP Jackie Baillie.
Mr Sarwar, who was sporting a black and gold scarf in the club colours, was greeted by Sons’ chairman Dr Neil Mackay and had lunch with a happy group of Dumbarton supporters.
He had earlier been at the exhibition of the club’s 150th anniversary of Dumbarton FC in Dumbarton Public Library in Strathleven Place.
Stadium picture from Stephen Watt, the Sons’ poet in residence