QOS0–0Dumbarton

THEY say that goalkeeper is the most dangerous position on the field, with every mistake scrutinised.

In that case, it is only right that the men with the gloves get the recognition when it all goes right.

On a day of first-footing, it was all about the handwork of Dumbarton goalies past and present.

The past, Queen of the South keeper Alan Martin, preserved a point for his side with top notch saves from Calum Gallagher and Christian Nade.

But the present Sons goalie, Scott Gallacher, did his bit as well, saving brilliantly from John Rankin and others in a Queens team containing five former Dumbarton players.

It was another blank sheet upfront for Sons, but another clean one in defence. That's now six in the last 10 games.

And in their first game since surprisingly shipping four goals to Livingston, the Dumbarton defence - a makeshift one at that due to injuries and suspensions - bounced back.

Despite the lack of goals they did not too badly attack-wise either in a game which progressed fitfully from start to finish.

On 12 minutes Ally Roy's initial shot looked to be blocked by the elbow of the grounded Connor Murray, but the officials were unmoved. Roy tried again, and this time his effort was deflected past.

From the resulting corner, Andy Dowie's header missed the target.

Sons were doing their defensive duties efficiently, but Gallacher was on form midway through the first half. Rankin's shot from distance was on target and travelling, only to be turned over the bar.

Two of the other former Sons players in the Queens squad, Joe Thomson and Chris Kane, also went close, but their efforts went wide and straight at Gallacher respectively.

In between those, Martin turned Dimitris Froxylias' low effort clear after Stuart Carswell battled hard to set up the chance.

The keepers stayed on top in the second half as Gallacher kept out Stephen Dobbie's shot, and then Kane's effort after he ran in on goal.

Those were either side of Martin denying Gallagher, who got to Tom Walsh's cross and scrambled it towards goal only for the goalie to save.

Gallagher then looked to be nudged to the ground in the area going for a high ball, but once again the referee showed no interest.

The game then hit a brick wall, with chances not coming so frequently for either side. But each keeper still had one last trick to perform, with Gallacher stopping Dobbie's header after a sliced clearance spun loose in the area.

And when Martin pawed away Nade's header, also from a Walsh assist with three minutes left, any hopes of a goal for either side were pretty much over.

The first fixture of 2018 for each side belonged to the men between the posts.