| Well what can you say not only did Sons
blow another great chance to pull ahead of the pack but this time they did it in the most agonising of fashion.
For 45 minutes Dumbarton laid siege to the East Stirling goal and for 45 minutes they were defied. Some poor finishing and some great saves denied Sons but also the boys from The Rock were missing something that can make or break promotion - LUCK.
In fact this is not wholely correct luck was in play in last nights match and it was firmly wearing a black and white scarf (possibly the only thing in a black and white scarf in attendance).
The early kick-off of this match seemed to catch both the small Shire support and their team by surprise. Never beofre have I seen an away team take to the field to loud cheering followed by the home team running out and not one single fan be there to cheer. (Then again I haven't been to Cappielow this season to a Bankies 'home' match.)
With this large support behind them Sons started brightly and Mark Crilly almost got us off the mark in the first sixty seconds, however to go through every one of Sons chances would take far too long so here are one or two.
Crilly had a 35 yard free-kick saved well by a keeper who had a 5 star performance. Some amazing saves followed from Chris Todd in the Shire goal most notably from shots by Robert Dunn who must have been wondering what he needed to do to score. When finally a Sons player beat the Shire number one the ball still wouldn't go in. Martin O'Neil's drive from the edge of the box gave Todd no chance but the ball cannoned off the upright and Sons were denied again.
Half-Time: East Stirlingshire 0 Dumbarton 0
The large Sons support were non too worried at the break as Sons had been camped out in the Shire half although there were one or two comments of "Knowing us they'll break up the park and score with their first attack." - Surely not!
Whil Sons weren't as commanding in this period headers from two yards were coming off the Shire keepers elbows and goal-mouth stramashes were commonplace as Sons tried to force the ball over the line.
On 68 minutes what all the Sons fans feared would happen did. Shire borke up the park and after a low shot was parried by John Wight in the Sons goal the re-bound was knocked home. - Disaster
East Stirlingshire 1 Dumbarton 0
Sons seemed to panic and their passing game started to break down and Shire doggedly tried to hold on to their lead but the most baffling substitution brought calls off anger down on boss Tom Carson. Big Tam took off Paddy Flannery and Joe Robertson to be replaced by John Dillon and Danny McKelvie. When you take off two players who between them have scored more goals than the rest of the first team while 1-0 down in a match you are desperately trying to win something is wrong. Needless to say Sons didn't really create any more chances and the match drifted to the final whistle which save the Shire players and their small support (which had now arrived) celebrate wildly.
Full-Time: East Stirlingshire 1 Dumbarton 0
Dumbarton are now one point ahead of Peterhead with the Blue Toon having a game in hand against - East Stirling - wanna bet their luck doesn't hold out in that one.
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