Thursday 16th April 2020
NOW that season 2019/20 is officially over, none of the three remaining planned issues of Sons View, our matchday programme, will be compiled.
These would have covered the home match against Peterhead on Saturday, April 4, East Fife this Saturday and Montrose on Saturday, May 2.
Because of this, we will publish the three remaining instalments of its history series, chronicling our last season at Boghead Park, online.
That campaign of course took place 20 years ago this season, and we wanted to ensure our fans continued to have the chance to relive it through to the end.
The final two instalments will be published in the coming days.
Saturday 8th April 2000
Third Division, matchday 32
Cowdenbeath 1 Dumbarton 2
THERE are some things you just couldn’t script.
The two games in this instalment of our history series revolve around one Dumbarton player – and guess who’s in hospitality today? (Note – this is a reference to Paddy Flannery having been due to attend our Legends Lunch at the Peterhead match)
Whatever else happened this season, Cowdenbeath were almost certainly glad to see the back of us. They had been consistent enough against many teams this season and finished the series against Sons having taken only one point.
After controversial events in the sides’ previous meeting, in January, Paddy Flannery was subject to quite a bit of attention from the terraces from the start.
The home fans had even more reason to be vocal four minutes from half time when their side took the lead, Dale Gray scoring on the counter attack.
Things started to get dramatic with 16 minutes to go, when Dumbarton levelled when Andy Brown set up Flannery to score.
After 80 minutes Cowden were awarded a penalty, but Sons breathed again when Murray McDowell blasted the kick over the bar.
And with four minutes left, Flannery got the winner to keep our hopes, such as they were, alive.
Cowdenbeath: Godfrey; Gray (McCulloch 84), McDonald, Sneddon, White, Burns (Young 84), Wilson, Bradley, McDowell, Simpson, Porteous (Carnie 63).
Dumbarton: Barnes; Dickie, Brittain, Stewart, Bruce, King, Dillon (Hringsson 63), Jack, Flannery (Watters 88), Andy Brown, Robertson. Sub: Alan Brown.
Referee: I Elmslie.
Elsewhere in football
• Does anybody want to win this division? Having gone top the previous week, Forfar Athletic lose 2-1 at home to Montrose. Berwick Rangers are the biggest profiteers, winning by the same scoreline at Brechin to become the third side to lead the division in as many rounds of fixtures.
• Queen’s Park don’t play due to Hampden being used for the Scottish Cup semi-finals. In the other game played on the Saturday, East Stirlingshire beat Albion Rovers 3-1. When the Spiders do return to action, they defeat East Fife 1-0.
• Clyde’s cushion at the top of the Second Division is another point bigger after a 1-1 draw at Hamilton while Ross County lose 3-1 at home to Partick Thistle.
• St Mirren are just about over the line in the First Division after a late goal gives them a 1-0 win at home to Falkirk.
Saturday 15th April 2000
Third Division, matchday 33
Dumbarton 0 Forfar Athletic 0
AT least we ensured Boghead was going out with a bang.
This match was rumbling along as a keenly fought contest until a major flashpoint on 62 minutes when Paddy Flannery got his second red card in a month.
Even so, this was a game Dumbarton could so easily have won and just might have had a slight shout of staying in contention for the top three and promotion.
We dominated the first half and only some fine goalkeeping by Stuart Garden kept the sides level. A header by Andy Brown and an Alex Grace shot produced his finest moments.
Seventeen minutes into the second half the powderkeg clash exploded. Flannery was competing for the ball in the area when he went down with Gary McPhee’s arm around him.
However, the referee saw it as a dive, and with Flannery already carrying a booking, he was off – and out of the club’s last ever game at Boghead.
With three minutes remaining, Grace tried again, but his shot was narrowly over and a share of the points was all we could take.
We were now unbeaten in six games, but it was looking like being too little, too late. It was a case of gathering nine points from the remaining three fixtures and hoping for the best.
The first of those three was at home to Albion Rovers, who were destined to finish bottom. It really couldn’t go wrong…
Dumbarton: Barnes; Stewart, Brittain, Bruce, Jack, King, Dillon (Hringsson 85), Grace, Flannery, Andy Brown, Robertson. Subs: Alan Brown, Watters.
Forfar Athletic: Garden; Rattray (Farnan 86), Donaldson, Horn, McCheyne, MacPhee, McKellar, MacDonald (McIlravey 67), Milne, Taylor, Robson. Sub: Craig.
Referee: S Kaney.
Elsewhere in football
• Berwick Rangers are just about over the line and into the Second Division after a 3-0 win at home to East Stirlingshire. The Borderers now need just a point for promotion.
• Queen’s Park also have a foot in the third tier after winning 2-0 at Montrose. They are two points behind Berwick and in with a shot of the title. East Fife cannot capitalise on Forfar’s dropped points, drawing 1-1 at home to Brechin City, while Cowdenbeath are 3-0 winners at Albion Rovers.
• Clyde ram home their supremacy at the top of the Second Division by defeating Stenhousemuir 7-0 at Broadwood, while Ross County stay in touch with a 3-0 win at Queen of the South.
• A 2-1 win at Livingston means that St Mirren are nearly there, despite Dunfermline Athletic’s 6-0 demolition of Clydebank.
With three games of the season remaining, Berwick Rangers led with 62 points, followed by Queen’s Park with 60. Forfar Athletic held the final promotion place with 57.
East Fife were fourth on 53, followed by Cowdenbeath (50), Dumbarton (49), East Stirlingshire (40), Montrose (34), Brechin City (32) and Albion Rovers (20).
Andy Galloway