Saturday 14th December 2013
DESPITE a late goal and a good chunk of possession, Dumbarton went down 2-1 to Raith Rovers on a wet and windy afternoon at Kirkcaldy.
The first half was even, though Rovers had a couple of early chances, and Sons missed several of their own.
After the break Dumbarton went on the offensive but could not find the target in the final third.
Then just as it looked as the visitors were starting to assert their dominance, an overlapping breakaway caught the defence square and Lewis Vaughan knocked in a Callum Booth cross for Raith.
It seemed as though Sons might get back into the game when Rovers went down to ten men following a terrible challenge by Joe Cardle. But it was not to be.
Jason Thomson made it 2-0 to the home side after another four-on-one breakaway against the run of play.
Steven McDougall pulled a decent late goal back for Dumbarton with only a few minutes left on the clock. However, a last-minute flurry could not produce that sorely-needed equaliser.
A miserable afternoon at Starks Park was further confirmed by injuries to Jordan Kirkpatrick and Chris Turner.
With this loss, Dumbarton stay in eighth position in the SPFL Championship, four points ahead of Cowdenbeath and nine points ahead of Greenock Morton.
Next up for Sons is the visit of league leaders Hamilton Academicals to the Bet Butler Stadium on Saturday 21st December.
Match photos and full report now online.
Simon Barrow