Recap

Dumbarton left it late to earn a 1-0 victory against East Fife and make it three wins in a row.

In a game of few clear-cut chances, Sean Crighton crashed in a 87th minute header to pick up all three points for Stevie Farrell’s side.

The Sons boss made just one change after last weekends 4-2 win at Stenhousemuir, and it was a forced one with the suspended Carlo Pignatiello dropping out and Matty Shiels being given the nod.

Faz continued with the 3-5-2 formation that has been so successful in the last 135 minutes of football but the afternoon nearly got off to a far from ideal start when Scott Shepherd met a cross at the back post in the opening 60 seconds – he nudged the ball towards goal from six-yards but thankfully the ball came back off the post.

For Dumbarton, Finlay Gray was putting in the energetic performances that fans have come to expect from the youngster and he battled hard to get through the Fifers defence and pull a low cross back across goal but there were no takers for his delivery.

James Hilton then came close on a couple of occassions when a smart turn created space 20 yards from goal but he dragged his shot wide before his free-kick dipped over the East Fife wall, but Allan Fleming was across his line sharply to get a strong hand to his effort.

The visitors were threatening down the wings and got into another promising position just before the half-hour with a low ball across goal coming back off Jonathan Page and bouncing just wide.

That was about it for the first-half with the Fifers starting the second-half well, though without seriously testing Brett Long in the Dumbarton goal.

A number of low crosses flashed across goal but there was nobody to get on the end of the deliveries.

With the game not quite going his side way but all three points still up for grabs, Farrell then made the bold decision to make four substitutions at one time mid-way through the half with Michael Ruth, Ryan Wallace, Kalvin Orsi and Ryan Blair all introduced.

Two of those changes combined almost immediately when Ruth held the ball up well on the left-hand side and played the ball back for Wallace on the edge of the box, but his shot was straight forward for Fleming to hold on to.

With 15 minutes to go, Orsi done well down the right with his ball finding Greig Young at the back post. He drilled the ball across goal and whilst a Sons shirt got on the end of his ball into the box, it was deflected over.

Tony Wallace then took the place of Young in another attacking change from the Sons boss as he changed to a 4-2-3-1 formation with that move paying off in the dying moments.

Orsi had a couple of promising runs down the right and had set up R Wallace for a header that was glanced wide before winning a corner a minute later.

It was taken by Ryan Wallace and met by Sean Crighton with his header finding the net despite the best efforts of Fleming.

That was enough to seperate the sides as Sons fall to second in cinch League Two despite the win after Bonnyrigg Rose moved top on goal difference with their 5-1 win over Elgin City.

The SPFL Trust Trophy takes centre stage next weekend with Dumbarton hosting League One side Kelty Hearts in what is set to be the first ever meeting between the clubs.