Saturday 16th April 2022
DUMBARTON will have to go through the playoffs to avoid relegation for a second straight season after a fight back at Airdrie proved to be in vain after a 3-2 defeat.
Sons did soak up pressure from the home side at the start, and had a couple of efforts at goal themselves. A penalty claim for handball was also rejected.
But all of the decent work started to be undone after 24 minutes when Dylan Easton opened the scoring for Airdrie.
Three minutes later, Airdrie punished a poor passback when Calum Gallagher was set up to finish into an empty net.
It looked like another long afternoon, but after Ross MacLean was denied by a fine save, a lifeline came to Dumbarton in the late stages of the first half.
Firstly George Stanger (pictured) headed home a goal back from a corner, and then ex-Sons forward Adam Frizzell was sent off for Airdrie after a bad tackle.
Out of nothing, Dumbarton were right back in the match. And early in the second half, things looked promising when Stuart Carswell was unlucky to see his shot hit the post.
Then with 20 minutes left, Rhys McCabe headed past his own keeper to give Sons the equaliser.
With time running out, the two teams threw everything at it for their own respective causes.
But Airdrie stole it with two minutes left when Jordan Allan tapped home.
This result, and those elsewhere, confirms that Dumbarton will finish ninth in this season’s cinch League One.