Sunday 12th July 2020
DUMBARTON have had some outstanding afternoons at what is currently the C&G Systems Stadium – and we are currently seeing plenty evidence of that.
This countdown was put together based on individual placings by supporters Graeme Robertson, Jack Crawford, Fraser Clarke and Andy Galloway.
Today’s game, placed at number six, was from 2014 and was yet another afternoon of high drama.
Number 5 will be published tomorrow at 10am.
6. Dumbarton 4-1 Hamilton Accies – Saturday, April 26, 2014
One thing our current stadium has never done in its near 20-year existence is host a title party. Not yet, anyway.
Neither Dumbarton nor any visiting team has officially clinched a title, or lifted their league’s trophy, beside the Rock. For reasons which will become clear in the coming days, that is best left there for now.
The former of those could have happened in this game. Hamilton Accies would not have received the Championship trophy, but they could have guaranteed they would get it a week later after their final home match.
If they could beat Dumbarton while Dundee lost at Alloa Athletic, the champagne could be uncorked after they faced Morton the next Saturday.
Dumbarton, of course, were looking to guard against it. They harboured ambitions of an unthinkable top four finish, although those hopes had taken a battering the previous week.
At home to Queen of the South – a fixture they had to win to stand any realistic chance – Sons were beaten 3-0. It wasn’t all over, but it was a real hammer blow, especially with Dumbarton travelling to Dundee for their final fixture.
With half an hour played, each game that mattered to the title race was goalless. Queen of the South had scored at home to Livingston to leave Dumbarton’s top four ambitions hanging by a thread.
Copyright Fullarton Photos 2014
But they responded emphatically. After 31 minutes they took the lead when Scott Agnew’s free kick from the right drifted past all and sundry and in at the far post.
Four minutes from half time, Hamilton were level through Jason Scotland – but soon afterwards, Accies had to digest the news that Dundee had scored at Alloa.
Unfortunately for them, their position would not improve in the second half. For Dumbarton, the events after the restart were simply glorious.
With chances having come and gone in front of each goal, Sons led again with 13 minutes left. Mitch Megginson’s ball across goal gave Colin Nish a simple header into a gaping goal.
Soon after, the visitors were reduced to 10 men, when player/manager Alex Neil was sent off after a clash with Mark Gilhaney.
Megginson then struck the third goal with five minutes remaining – a goal as well-received in the away end at Alloa as it was at Dumbarton.
Two minutes after that, Sons had four, Jordan Kirkpatrick finding the corner against his former club.
From the point of view of a top four challenge, Queen of the South’s 2-0 win over Livingston meant Sons’ unlikely aspirations were all but over.
But that did not take away from an afternoon of drama, huge excitement and Sons playing their part in sending the title race to the last day.
Dumbarton: Ewings; McGinn, Graham, Turner, Gilhaney, Agnew (Kirkpatrick 75), Megginson, Prunty (Nish 62), Fleming (Kane 81), Linton, Miller. Subs: Grindlay; McLaughlin, McDougall, Murray.
Hamilton Accies: Cuthbert; Gordon, Devlin, Canning, Gillespie (Antoine-Curier 76), Neil, Crawford (Routledge 89), Longridge (Keatings 67), Andreu, Tena, Scotland. Subs: Currie; Ryan, Kilday, George.
Referee: George Salmond.