Wednesday 7th September 2022
DECLAN BYRNE didn’t want anybody to know in advance.
But his player of the month award for cinch League Two for August is something he has been aiming for since the first five minutes of the league season.
The Dumbarton striker began the league campaign by scoring two goals in the opening five minutes against Stirling Albion – the only goals of a 2-0 win.
Those, and another two goals against Annan Athletic two weeks later, made him the division’s top scorer at the end of August.
He now has another goal to his name of course, against East Fife on Saturday, although that goal was not accounted for by the award.
Sons are now on six wins out of six in the league so far and Declan admits it is a start that nobody would have predicted at the start of the season.
Speaking to dumbartonfootballclub.com, Declan said: “When I scored a double against Stirling Albion on the opening day, I didn’t tell anybody but I had a goal in mind to achieve recognition.
“And then I did that against Annan Athletic, so that was me on track.
“Between that, and the run we are on as a team, it has been a really good start. I think everybody knew the gaffer was going to get manager of the month and I had the goal set in my head.
“I don’t think anybody would have thought that what has happened so far would have happened. We went into it positively thinking we could get a couple of wins and see what came next.
“But I don’t think anybody would have said we would go six wins out of six and me being the top scorer in the division.
“It’s a really good bunch of players the gaffer has brought in. Everybody gets on well and there’s a real togetherness among us.
“Everybody can feel that and we are all playing for one another. The gaffer has been very regimental with the shape he wants us to play and everybody is buying into it.
“It is a good standard at training and everybody is enjoying it. We are not getting carried away at all though; we are just taking it a game at a time.”
Declan’s goal at East Fife on Saturday was the only one of the game and made it six wins out of six so far.
It is now off to Stranraer this Saturday to try to make it seven out of seven, and although the striker knows that Sons are there to be aimed at, he can’t wait for the visit to Stair Park.
He added: “It was another great result for us and great for me to score the only goal of the game to get another three points.
“East Fife put a lot of pressure on us, but defensively we were solid, and that comes from the front and staying in shape, doing what the gaffer tells us.
“We did need to work for it, but we were delighted and we are definitely looking forward to facing Stranraer on Saturday.
“Everybody is looking forward to every game. We go into every game with a target on our backs while we are where we are, but we want to go and win again and I want to score as many as I can.
“I’m really enjoying my football.”
Dumbarton Football Club