Saturday 30th July 2022
A DREAM start to the opening league fixture has given Dumbarton a 2-0 win at home to Stirling Albion today.
After a positive pre-season, Sons were looking to start life in cinch League Two with a victory.
And the perfect start was made inside the first minute. A Ross MacLean cross caused danger for the Stirling defence and Declan Byrne (pictured) stabbed home the opening goal.
Kalvin Orsi was initially credited, but it was later confirmed that the referee had awarded the goal to Byrne.
It was 2-0 only three minutes later when Byrne pounced on a loose ball to thrash it home with an angled drive.
Although Stirling offered some response, Dumbarton held steady, and went close to a third midway through the first half when Ally Love shot narrowly wide.
Love then had a shot turned on to the crossbar from close range in the final minutes of the half.
Having barely been tested in the first half, Brett Long produced a moment of real quality to maintain the two-goal cushion on the hour mark.
Robert Thomson’s effort was kept out, and then the Sons keeper did brilliantly to stop from Dale Carrick at close range.
Stirling continued to dominate territorially but were then reduced to 10 men after 72 minutes when Cameron Clark was sent off for an elbow on Aron Lynas.
The impact of the challenge on Lynas was so severe that he had to leave the field and be substituted.
The extra man gave Sons some impetus back and a David Wilson header went narrowly over with 10 minutes left.
In the final minute, Long made another fine save to deny Thomson with a close range effort.
With their first three points on the board, Dumbarton face their first away day of the league season next week, travelling to Coatbridge to face Albion Rovers.