Dumbarton2–1Livingston

SEE, that's exactly what Stevie Aitken was talking about before the match. Fine lines. Four minutes from half time in this game, Kevin Cawley had lined himself up to be Dumbarton's match winner by scoring the opener. By the interval he'd gone off injured and watched Gary Glen head Livingston level. But while one goalscorer had to depart, the decisive goal came from the man who replaced him. Nine minutes from full time, Eamonn Brophy scrambled home the winner, giving Sons their first win since August at St Mirren. Three minutes before the winner, Sons could just as easily have been behind. The fact that they weren't was down to keeper Mark Brown, who denied the visitors' Morgyn Neill with a top class save. And 180 seconds later came the moment that clinched it. As if that drama wasn't enough, Livingston sub Myles Hippolyte was sent off midway through the second half after clashing with Frazer Wright. Yet in many ways, this match was similar in many ways to Dumbarton's defeat at Raith Rovers last week. Brophy's goal was one of very few clear chances at either end in the second half. While there was plenty effort from both teams, Sons' creative side had still not quite been in full evidence, even with the man advantage. They have, though, ended the first quarter of the league season on 10 points as a result of this victory. There has been frustration and bad luck along the way, but their position is a strong one. And Brophy was the man who benefited from a break in front of goal which has deserted Sons in recent weeks.

The game got off to an exciting start, as Frazer Wright met Willie Gibson's free kick only to head over. Then Gregor Buchanan, returning from suspension, did well to deny his namesake Liam after the Livingston striker ran in on goal. The Sons defender did enough to get back and block his shot. It was an early element of a performance which won him the Sons Supporters Trust man of the match award. But the pace did not last. A shot from distance by Glen, which rolled through to Brown, was as close as either side got before the dying stages of the first half. Then it all kicked off. Gibson's cross found Cawley at the back post, and the winger made no mistake with a firm header. However, it was his final act of the game, as he was forced off injured within a minute after rolling his ankle. The aim was to overcome the blow and see the lead through to half time. But a minute from the interval, that ambition was ended. A Livingston corner was headed across goal and Glen could hardly miss from close range. His team-mate Hugo Faria almost overturned the scoreline within a minute of the restart as his long range effort went narrowly over.

But the second half followed the same pattern. Plenty of hard work, no free gifts from either side - but neither goalkeeper could moan about a heavy workload. And neither could Hippolyte. His match started at half time when he came on as a sub. It ended 24 minutes later when he lashed out in an altercation with Wright and was dismissed. With 12 minutes remaining, Brown did what needed doing when Neill sent in a fierce shot from the edge of the area. Then new signing Steven Saunders' throw-in caused a scramble in the area. In previous weeks, a defender would have cleared and Sons would have been denied another break. Instead, Brophy got a toe to it and stabbed in what proved to be the winning goal. It was a moment which had been some time coming. And one which was deserved, if not for this performance, then for Sons' efforts in other recent games.