HEAVY DEFEAT AT MONTROSE

Saturday 19^th December 2020

DUMBARTON completed the first third of the League One season with a comprehensive 4-0 defeat at the hands of fourth-placed Montrose at Links Park, their last away game until February.

Sons started brightly, but in the 7th minute Andrew Steeves opened the scoring for the Gable Endies with a header. Worse was to follow in the 24th minute when St Johnstone loanee Cammy Ballantyne (not the ex-Sons player, although he was playing) made space in the area and slots home.

The visitors came into it with efforts by Chris Hamilton and Adam Frizzell saved by keeper Aaron Lennox. But the revival was short-lived as Russell McLean made it 3-0 from short range five minutes before the interval.

After the break the home side’s dominance continued, and in the 51st minute keeper Kevin Dabrowski and Sam Wardrop combined to clear a Lewis Milne effort off the line. At the other end a Denny Johnstone overhead kick was well saved.

Chris Mochrie was next to threaten for Montrose in the 82nd minute, but his shot was too high, but three minutes later Ballantyne netted his second with a low shot from the edge of the box.

In the 90th minute Stefan McCluskey rounded the keeper and netted, but was ruled offside. And so an afternoon for Sons to forget ended with the home side moving up to second place in the league.

Donald Fullarton