Irn Bru Scottish League Two                       

Dumbarton 0 Stenhousemuir 0

 

 

 

Normally a point at Dumbarton is to be welcomed but on this occasion it seemed more like two points dropped rather than a point gained. The Warriors went into the game unbeaten and they at least maintained that run at the end of the day but know that they should have won their second game in a row.

 

Stenhousemuir began the game with the same starting eleven from the Arbroath game and will a fairly settled side began the game in a positive fashion. The game started with Dumbarton kicking with the wind at their backs and this seemed to suit the Warriors who have in recent games looked more comfortable battling the elements as the ball holds up better for the front runners rather than running away from them.

 

The Warriors started brightly and were given a chance to take the lead in the 9^th minute of the game when Ross Harvey made a complete mess of a pass out of defence that fell to Iain Diack. Diack fed the ball to Scott Dalziel who burst into the box and was about to shoot when he was upended by Harvey and referee Stevie O’Reilly awarded a penalty and cautioned the Dumbarton player though he would have had no complaints if he had been dismissed. Scott Dalziel stepped up to the mark but his penalty was not the best he has ever taken and although on target was saved low to the keeper’s left by Jan Vojacek.

 

Dumbarton saw Roddy Hunter miss the target with a header a couple of minutes later but it was mainly Stenhousemuir as an attacking force and Vojacek was again called into action when he parried a Kevin Motion drive from 20 yards out in the 17^th minute. He brought off another fine stop from Diack a couple of minutes laterto keep the scores level.

 

Dumbarton were gradually getting into the game and they saw a Ross O’Donoghue long range effort just fizz over the bar then Chris Craig had an attempt blocked for a corner by Gary Thom. The Warriors made a swift counter attack from the corner and Diack found himself one on one with the keeper but his effort over the bar on the half hour. There was another scare for the home side when Martin McNiff almost sliced a clearance into his own net five minutes later.

 

The Warriors continued to press and when Scott Dalziel got behind the home defence and bore down on goal just before half time he was brought down by Vojacek outside the box and the keeper was dismissed for his actions. From the resultant freekick Diack saw his effort tipped onto the post by replacement Michael White.

 

It is fair to say that after a first half full of promise the second was a big letdown for the Stenhousemuir contingent who failed to give the ten men of Dumbarton major problems until the closing minutes of the game. The main talking points of the second period being that both keepers handled the ball outside the box with no fouls given. McCluskey when his momentum at a catch took him out and White who gathered the ball to stop a Stenhousemuir attack. Nevertheless the Warriors should have scored the winner in the 90^th minute when Craig O’Reilly was set up by Diack at close range but his effort lacked power and White somehow scrambled back to push the ball out for a corner. An Iain Thomson effort flew over just before the final whistle but in the end the Warriors had to settle for a share of the spoils.

 

Dumbarton – Vojacek [so 43], Geggan, Smith, Harvey [b9], McNiff, McStay, O’Donoghue [Murray 56], Chaplain, Hunter [Strachan 56][t], Carcary and Craig [White 44].

Subs not used – Chisholm and Gordon

 

Stenhousemuir – McCluskey, Lyle [b80], S.Thomson [I.Thomson 61], Thom, Smith, McLeod, Molloy, Scullion [b59][Love 67], Dalziel [O’Reilly 73], Diack and Motion.

Subs not used – Bradley and Bennett

 

Referee – Stevie O’Reilly             

Assistants – Francis Andrews and Colin Steven