Playing against St Mirren was a unique experience for our new ‘keeper Shay Kelly.
Having spent his whole football development at St Mirren, the match brought him face-to-face with many familiar faces. Despite the disappointing scoreline, Shay found positives to take away from the game.
He said: “It was certainly a very different experience playing against St Mirren. I really enjoyed the game, even though the result wasn’t what we wanted.
“There are a lot of new boys out there, and there’s still a lot to come together, but I was happy enough with my own performance and how the game went overall. I’m just looking forward to what’s coming next.”
Competition in goal is strong at Dumbarton, with Shay acknowledging the quality of his fellow goalkeeper, Ollie Ecrepont.
He said: “Ollie is a brilliant goalie, talented, and we push each other every day. If he’s picked to play, I’ll wish him all the best, and it’s the same for him with me. We work well together.”
Brett Long is also working his way back to fitness, he and young Luke Smallwood provide the Sons with one of the league’s strongest goalkeeping divisions.
Shay has been joined from St Mirren by three loanees, Theo McCormick, Carrick McEvoy and Thomas Falconer, who impressed for his parent club against the Sons on Saturday.
Shay said: “All three boys who’ve come in bring something different but are really good players.
“Tam is a technically gifted left-back, Carrick can play multiple positions from centre-half to midfield, and Theo brings great energy up front, with a keen eye for goal.
“I’ve got nothing but good things to say about them.”
Looking ahead, Shay’s focus is clear: to prove himself and contribute fully to the team’s efforts: “I just want to get right into it and show everyone what I can do.
“I want to prove I’m good enough to play and do the best I can for myself and the club.”
As we continue to build a squad and move into a new era under Mario Lapointe, Shay and the rest of the team remain focused and committed, ready to make their mark this season.
We travel to take on Irvine Meadow on Thursday for what will be a difficult but different test for the boys this pre season.
Manager Stevie Farrell has confirmed both Dom Docherty and Gordon Walker were taken off against the Buddies as precautionary measures and hopes both will be able to get more game time this week.