Tuesday 20th April 2021
AFTER 17 rounds of action, one remains for Dumbarton before the vital post-split fixtures which will decide their fate this season.
It is a tough test as well, against a Partick Thistle side who have been in excellent form since football resumed last month.
For Sons, the match represents the completion of a quarter of a standard league season in just a month. This is their ninth League One fixture in that period.
They head into it off the back of an important and morale-boosting victory at Clyde last week, but face a tough task to take another result tonight.
Manager Jim Duffy said: “It was certainly a welcome result at Broadwood last week, but it is in the past now and we must concentrate on facing Partick tonight.
“With no game on Saturday, we’ve had the chance to rest and recuperate, which was important after the schedule we have had in recent weeks.
“But we know that Partick have had the same opportunity and, having run up an impressive victory over Montrose in their last match, will be raring to go.
“We know that the players will continue to give us everything and, having taken a point when we last played Thistle, we know we can do that. It’s up to us to post another result against them.”
The gaffer should be able to welcome back midfielder Ruaridh Langan ahead of tonight after the midfielder went off against East Fife 12 days ago.
However, injury woes continue in other parts of the squad. Rico Quitongo will be assessed ahead of the game after going off injured against Clyde.
Stuart Carswell, Isaac Layne, Daniel Church and Joshua Bradley-Hurst all remain out.
The match of course remains behind closed doors and is available to watch via our streaming service as per our previous story.
We also wish to gently remind supporters of the safety notice we issued last week. No supporters of either club should attend the C&G Systems Stadium or its grounds this evening.
While we very much hope we will be able to have you back in our stadium soon, the best and safest way to watch tonight’s action is via the streaming service.
At the close of play this evening, Dumbarton could finish the 18-game league season anywhere between seventh and ninth ahead of the league splitting.
To finish seventh, Dumbarton need to better Peterhead’s result at home to Falkirk. A draw will be enough if the Blue Toon are beaten as Sons will then have a superior goal difference.
The current position of eighth will be retained if Sons do not get a better result tonight than Peterhead do, and Clyde fail to win at Forfar.
But if Clyde win and Sons lose, Dumbarton will finish the 18-game season in ninth place. A draw will realistically keep Sons above Clyde even if the Bully Wee win, due to a superior goal difference.
The finishing position will dictate the order of our fixtures over the rest of the season. However, it is already known that three of our post-split opponents will be Peterhead, Clyde and Forfar Athletic.
The other will be one from Airdrie, East Fife and Montrose. A draw between the Diamonds and Fifers at Airdrie tonight will confirm Montrose in the bottom half unless the Gable Endies run in an avalanche of goals at home to Cove Rangers.
However, Montrose will reach the top half with a win of any margin if the game at Airdrie does not end all square.
Referee Barry Cook is in charge for the second match at the C&G Systems Stadium in a row tonight. His assistants will be Graham Chambers and Regan Wallace.
Andy Galloway