Sunday 26th September 2021
PAT BOYLE doesn’t do scoring in defeats for Dumbarton.
So if there was one player who Callum Wilson’s corner had to come to against Alloa Athletic yesterday, it was just as well it was him.
It was the left back’s fourth goal for Sons, spread across more than 12 years. None of them have come in defeat – two wins and yesterday was the second draw.
It was looking like being that type of afternoon for Dumbarton, with chances missed in the second half having gone behind right on half time.
That was until Pat bulleted home the equaliser with 10 minutes left to ensure a share of the points.
It was an instruction from assistant manager Frank McKeown that prompted him to be in the box to attack the corner in the first place.
Speaking to www.dumbartonfootballclub.com, Pat said: “It was certainly an important goal and we felt it was coming. Frank told me to get in the box for the corner and I’ve been able to stick my head on it.
“I can win headers – I’m just not usually very good at directing them! Fortunately for this one I’ve flicked it well.
“In the first half I don’t know what happened. The manager said the game was too slow and in the second we got it forward quicker.
“We caused them all sorts of problems, had good chances and we felt a goal was coming. The first thing I said to the rest of the back four was that if a draw was what we got, we took it.
“The league is extremely tight and we just need to keep the momentum going.”
Now it is on to face Peterhead at Balmoor Stadium on Saturday to complete the first quarter of the season.
It is 202 miles from door to door, and it is a trip Pat knows well having played for the Blue Toon for several years.
With the length of the journey, various options are being mulled over by Dumbarton, but Pat is not overly fussed when Sons make the journey northeast.
His only concern is getting the result, which could mean everything with the way cinch League One is shaping up.
He added: “A lot of the boys at Peterhead stay over on the Friday night but I personally went up on the Saturday morning.
“People talk about preparation but the game is won on the pitch. It’s about determination and wanting to beat your man.
“I’ve been saying to the players that I don’t think the league has a weakness this year. There are plenty strengths and it’s going to be very close.
“Nobody is going to run away with it – it might only be three points next Saturday, but we’re confident we can get them.
“I know a lot of the boys at Peterhead and I know they’ve had a bit of bad luck in the games they’ve played so far.
“If they turn up on the day they’ve got players who can hurt us, so we will have to play well.
“We’ve made ourselves hard to play against of late, but today we had to come out and play a bit more after going a goal down.
“We showed we can do that – and the wind wasn’t up, for once.”
Andy Galloway