Sunday 13th December 2015
BY the time he’s emerged from the dressing room, Mark Brown has already been worked hard by St Mirren.
But there’s one other big test still awaiting the Dumbarton keeper. The question of when he last kept three consecutive clean sheets.
It was in February 2013, for Ross County against Aberdeen (1-0), Motherwell (3-0) and St Johnstone (1-0).
Those were actually the latter three of four back-to-back shut-outs, as the Saints game was preceded by a 2-0 win for County at Dundee.
And with Sons in their current form, who would argue against the same possibility when they travel to Livingston next week?
Saturday’s 1-0 win over St Mirren may have been achieved through Garry Fleming’s goal, but a series of saves from Mark carried as much importance.
It was a performance he was delighted with, and having also shut out Alloa twice this week, rounded off an excellent seven days for the shot-stopper.
He said: “I don’t want too much to do, but it’s all part of the job. I’m there to help the team and it’s been a great week for the club.
“We’ve had three wins and three clean sheets – I don’t think we can as for any more than that. We have momentum with us and we just need to keep building on that.
“It’s not just me and the defence who take the credit for the three clean sheets. It’s the whole team that’s ensured the results we’ve had.
“Garry Fleming got the goal against St Mirren and Donald McCallum has been magnificent upfront alongside him.
“There’s a good spirit in the changing room and it’s been a case of keeping working hard. We have a long way to go but I think we’re hitting form at a good time.
“If the St Mirren game had been played a few weeks ago we may have been two or three down. I don’t think we had much luck in that spell – every mistake we made was punished.
“But I managed to make the saves and the whole team contributed. Remember the task we have had – three games in a week. It’s a huge effort.”
For the first time in three weeks, Sons can now look forward to a week of training only before the next game, at Livingston on Saturday.
The last five trips to Almondvale have resulted in victory, and although very few players from those games are still with the club, it’s a visit the new-look squad is looking forward to.
Mark added: “Everybody enjoys playing games, although I don’t have as much running to do as the rest of the players.
“But we are looking forward to a well-earned rest ahead of playing Livingston. It would be good to get another result but there’s a lot of work to do before that.
“We can only look after ourselves and as long as we prepare as we have been doing, and work as we have been doing, we should be successful.”
Andy Galloway