Dumbarton0–3Falkirk

THE difference between this and Saturday at Peterhead? Hundreds of miles and maybe two more goals for the opposition.

Dumbarton had plenty of the ball against Falkirk. They moved it around well in stages and looked reasonably solid at the back for most of the game.

Those things don't decide games, though. Goals do.

There was a 10-minute spell in the first half which just about summed up the evening. Sons were awarded a free kick 20 yards out and couldn't get past the wall. The Bairns were awarded the same and Blair Alston put away their second.

Callumn Morrison got their first and Aidan Connolly their third.

Effort was plenty for Dumbarton. It sometimes deserves a better reward but four consecutive blank sheets suggest it goes a bit beyond luck.

All that can be done is that the extended gap between matches is used well, and Sons are ready to go again at Partick Thistle in 11 days.

Although not forcing any clear cut chances, Dumbarton started well and some promising early play lacked only a finish.

But there was a narrow escape on 13 minutes. Anton Dowds' shot spun up into the air in the box, but Alston found the angle too narrow to finish.

And three minutes later Falkirk were ahead, Morrison ghosting in at the back post after a corner. All the good early work was undone.

With Sons continuing to enjoy more of the ball but struggling to threaten an equaliser, out of nothing the visitors almost had a second on 29 minutes.

Alston's looping shot crashed off the bar with Conor Sammon unable to put the rebound away.

Instead, Alston got the second on 33 minutes with a perfectly-placed free kick from distance.

The game was seen through to half time without anything else going wrong, and Denny Johnstone was introduced at half time in an effort to revitalise the attacking side of the team.

On 62 minutes he got the closest yet to a goal by Dumbarton. Fellow sub PJ Crossan played him in, but his low shot came back off the post.

Falkirk remained comfortable but were finding the home defence tighter. The next chance fell to Jaime Wilson with 13 minutes left, but he headed over at close range.

And we were saying about that tighter defence? The visitors then punished a bad mistake at the back which allowed Connolly to roll home the third a minute later.

As if to sum things up, with two minutes left Johnstone was played in again, but a hand from the keeper was enough to turn the shot wide.

But Falkirk were only denied a fourth in the last minute by a fine save from Kevin Dabrowski, turning Charlie Telfer's effort over.