Thursday 12th May 2016
THIS weekend, Dumbarton will find out another two teams who will join them in the 2016/17 Championship.
And in both cases, it will be a straight shoot-out on the night in the second leg of the Premiership and Championship promotion play-offs.
There was nothing to separate Hibernian and Falkirk, or Stranraer and Ayr United, in the first legs which took place this week.
Hibs and the Bairns will meet again at the Falkirk Stadium on Friday evening for the right to face Kilmarnock in the Premiership play-off final.
Having drawn 2-2 in the first leg, it is a simple case of the winner on the night going through – on penalties if needed.
The team which loses on the night will definitely face Sons on league business next season.
Meanwhile, Sons boss Stevie Aitken saw his former club Stranraer endure late agony in their first leg at home to Ayr United last night.
The Blues looked set to head to Somerset Park on Sunday with a one-goal advantage, only for the Honest Men to level four minutes into injury time.
That means that Sunday’s match will also be effectively a sudden death knock-out tie to see who joins the Championship.
It too could go to penalties if necessary, as in all SPFL play-off competitions there is no away goals rule.
The winners will join Dumbarton, Dundee United, Raith Rovers, Morton, St Mirren, Queen of the South, Dunfermline Athletic and the losers of the Falkirk v Hibernian tie in the league next season.
That will leave only one place to be filled, and that will be taken up by either Kilmarnock or the winners of Falkirk v Hibs.
Andy Galloway