Dumbarton2–1Stranraer

PRIOR to this, Dumbarton hadn't beaten Stranraer, or reached the Irn Bru Cup last eight, since...Scotland were qualifying for playoffs.

While the national team waits to find out if it has ended a near 15-year exile, Sons have succeeded in breaking theirs.

The two goals which won this tie would have been scored in Kirkcaldy last season. Instead, Craig Barr and Mark Stewart put them away at the YOUR Radio 103FM Stadium to put Dumbarton in control.

With the game's last meaningful touch, Stephen Okoh got the goal for Stranraer which kept everything neat if nothing else. Four home games, four 2-1 victories.

Nobody would pretend that this was vintage stuff. However, Dumbarton are in the quarter finals of the competition known mostly down the years as the Challenge Cup.

Unless you were around the club in season 2002/03, you've never known that to happen before.

Unlike recent outings, the first half was the stronger of the two 45-minute periods. Sons started well, with Stewart playing in Calum Gallagher after an interception in midfield.

The opportunity looked good, but Gallagher was frustrated by the keeper at close range.

But on 12 minutes the scoring was opened by Barr, who slid home a low ball back from the goal line by David Wilson.

Within a further minute, Dimitris Froxylias was off target with another chance, before Paul Woods just missed the net for Stranraer from the edge of the area.

There then wasn't a great deal happening. Indeed, much of the subsequent attention was on an injury to keeper Scott Gallacher - and then a scare with his replacement.

Jamie Ewings was seen in competitive action for the first time since May 2016 when he replaced Gallacher after half an hour.

He then needed treatment early in the second half, but revealed later it was much ado about nothing and easily completed the match.

On 64 minutes things got going again, with Froxylias firing wide after turning a defender's challenge.

But a minute later, Tom Walsh took off down the left and sent over a cross which Stewart powerfully headed home.

A glancing header by Grant Anderson went wide as Stranraer looked for a way back, but an almost customary goal from Froxylias at home was still missing.

It looked like it would come on 81 minutes, when his shot was deflected towards goal, but Jamie Hamill scrambled it clear.

Stranraer ended the game strongly, with Scott Robertson heading a corner wide, but they did find the net from another corner with full time imminent.

Okoh got the final netbound touch in the goalmouth scramble which ensued from the set piece.

A clean sheet would have been good, but when it's your first time in the last eight of the Irn Bru Cup in so long, it has less impact.

The job had been done.