Recap

Dumbarton (2) v Forfar Athletic (2)

Saturday 19^th November 2022, Kick Off 3pm

cinch League Two

DESPITE what the league table may dictate, this was never going to be an easy game for Dumbarton.

They expected a challenge from Forfar Athletic, even allowing for the visitors’ position in the division, and that was certainly what they got.

What this game certainly was was frustrating, even with the ball hitting the Loons net twice. It took the concession of a goal to really spark Sons into life, as good as their responses were.

An own goal was countered by Gregg Wylde late in the first half, and no sooner had Stefan McCluskey put Forfar back in front in the second that David Wilson equalised again.

Efforts to grab the two missing points were in vain, despite a man advantage for most of the second half after Kyle Hutton was sent off for Forfar.

As Ally Love’s late shot spun away from goal instead of into it after hitting the post, it rather summed things up.

There will be good days this season, and there have been plenty so far. And there will be days of frustration, of which this was one.

Whatever Dumbarton intended to do early in this game, going one goal down after three minutes was unlikely to figure in the plans.

Unfortunately that was exactly what happened when Roberto Nditi sent over a cross and a deflection off the unlucky Gregor Buchanan took it into the net.

The response to the early blow was good. Having scored with one ferocious shot last week, Aron Lynas almost did so again.

He met a corner 15 yards out, but while the keeper was beaten by his powerful effort, a defender on the line was not.

Sons continued to have more of the play, but things felt a bit laboured until the late stages of the first half.

After a corner was only half dealt with by Forfar, the ball broke to Wylde on the edge of the box.

It looked as if his bending shot may have had an extra touch, but the winger took the credit and it was all square again.

Within two minutes of leaving the away dressing room for the second half, Hutton was then back in it again. His booking for a foul on Ross MacLean was his second of the game, equalling a dismissal.

It looked like the time for the home side to strike, but the frustration continued, followed by a badly self-inflicted blow on 62 minutes.

The usually reliable Dumbarton defence had a rare lapse in concentration and communication, resulting in McCluskey being able to tap home from close range.

But if nothing else, Sons did not dwell on it. Joe McKee went away down the right hand side and sent over a delightful ball that screamed ‘put me in the net’.

Wilson was only too happy to oblige, and barely had the live league tables been adjusted than they were changing again.

Changes were made, but Forfar clung on valiantly, looking to protect what they had. But they were so nearly undone with two minutes left.

Love, in his first match action for five weeks, spun and shot from the edge of the box, but almost in slow motion, his shot struck the post and rolled the wrong way for Sons’ liking.

Despite all the effort, a winner just did not happen.