Saturday 27th June 2020
INTO the top 20 we go in our process of finding the 100 greatest games to be played at DFC’s current stadium.
Supporters Andy Galloway, Graeme Robertson, Jack Crawford and Fraser Clarke, all key members of the club’s media team, compiled this countdown after a rigorous selection process.
Today, we feature games from 2001 and 2014.
Numbers 18 and 17 will be online tomorrow at 10am.
20. Dumbarton 2-0 Clydebank – Tuesday, September 11, 2001
The date of this match is, of course, known for other, far more shocking, reasons.
When the draw for round one of the 2001/02 League Cup was made, there was one prospective tie which appealed slightly more than the rest.
And we got it. In its first full season, our new stadium would stage a West Dunbartonshire derby against Clydebank.
A fixture which we had not won at 10 times of asking since November 1992. It was about time we got the bragging rights of the council area.
What a prospect it was – but hours before kick-off, the evening became one of reeling from the truly disturbing events unfolding in the USA.
The week’s European football was cancelled, but at Dumbarton, the show went on, and we did claim the local bragging rights.
The Third Division Sons were matching the Second Division Bankies stride for stride in the first half and landed the first key blow six minutes from half time.
Andy Brown’s header hit the post and rolled along the goal line. To save any debate, Paddy Flannery hit the back of the net anyway, but the goal was awarded to Brown.
Flannery, though, did not have long to wait. On the hour mark a through ball by Martin O’Neill sent him clear, and Dumbarton’s number nine simply didn’t do missing such chances.
Clydebank, who were playing home matches in Greenock at the time, had Neil McGowan sent off for an elbow on Flannery seven minutes later.
This remains our last competitive fixture against the Bankies, as less than a year later they had disappeared from the Scottish senior setup.
The teams have regularly contested a friendly within the last decade, but the early start to the League Cup has made this harder to stage in recent years.
With Clydebank now part of the West of Scotland League, only two tiers away from the SPFL’s four main divisions, who knows?
Dumbarton: Hillcoat; Bonar, Dillon (Brittain 69), Stewart, McKeown, McCann, Crilly, O’Neill (Lynes 89), Flannery (McKelvie 78), Brown, Robertson. Subs: Wight; Dickie.
Clydebank: Smith; Paton, Stirling, Bossy, McKinnon, McGowan, Hamilton, Dick (Kinnaird 79), Graham (McGrillen 65), Carrigan (Lavety 65), Burke. Subs: Robertson; McColligan.
Referee: Ian Fyfe.
Copyright Fullarton Photos 2014
19. Dumbarton 5-1 Cowdenbeath – Saturday, March 15, 2014
All that was really wanted from this game was a recovery.
Seven days before this game, Dumbarton had travelled to Aberdeen to contest their first Scottish Cup quarter final since 1979.
They were beaten when they made just about their only defensive mistake of the entire match. So how would they respond back on their own pitch against fellow part-timers Cowdenbeath?
It didn’t take long for them to start generating a positive response to that question. Having survived a chance for the Blue Brazil which hit the post, they were ahead midway through the first half.
Mitch Megginson bent home a delightful shot from the edge of the box after being set up by Colin Nish. It was the only goal of the first half, but the second 45 minutes was worth the wait.
Sons’ next two goals came from free kicks by Jordan Kirkpatrick. Ten minutes into the second half he sent in a delivery which fell for Michael Miller to finish.
The lead, though, was halved on 63 minutes when John Armstrong finished from close range from a corner for the visitors.
With 17 minutes left, Kirkpatrick had another free kick, and having thought about a cross, he instead went for goal, which wrong-footed the Cowden keeper and found the net for 3-1.
Straight from the bench, Garry Fleming then made it four almost immediately with nine minutes left. His second touch of the game gave Kirkpatrick another assist, with the forward having cut the ball back.
Games towards the end of season 2013/14 tended not to be complete without a Chris Kane goal, and he had it for the afternoon with the last kick of the game.
He pounced on a slack passback and rolled it home after getting away from the Blue Brazil keeper. Pittodrie well and truly exorcised.
Dumbarton: Grindlay; McGinn, Graham, Turner, Gilhaney, Agnew (Murray 69), Megginson (McDougall 81), Kirkpatrick, Nish (Fleming 79), Kane, Miller. Subs: Ewings; Smith, Prunty, Thomson.
Cowdenbeath: Flynn; McKeown, Armstrong, Wedderburn, Stevenson (S Stewart 80), G Stewart, Brett, Fowler, Milne, Robertson (Miller 80), Brownlie. Subs: Usai; Adamson, O’Brien, Gold, Kane.
Referee: Crawford Allan.