Cove Rangers1–0Dumbarton

N his match report in Sons View on the Airdrieonians game, our correspondent Andy Galloway said; “Shall we just mark this game as 'ditto'.” That could get habit forming. Prior to this match, since the return to playing Sons had lost four games, all to a 1-0 scoreline. Er, ditto, make that five.

This was Sons first ever trip to the Balmoral Stadium and all the early action came in front of Sam Ramsbottom's goal.

On 12 minutes Ross Graham sent a long range effort past the post, on 16 minutes Fraser Fyvie sent another shot wide and on 23 minutes, Rico Quitongo blocked a fierce shot with a part of his anatomy not really built for that kind of work.

By midway through the first half, Sons had rarely threatened, keeping things tight at the back. On the half hour mark, good work on the right from Jaime Wilson saw him send in a dangerous cross that the Cove defence did well to clear.

The final goalmouth action of the first half saw another free-kick from Cove head goal-ward but Ramsbottom saved well.

Ten minutes into the second half, the game turned on a controversial decision from the officials. A ball into the six yard box was doing a fair impersonation of a pinball.

As it bounced around, Rory McAllister stabbed it goal-ward for Sam Wardrop to clear off the line and the linesman to indicate it had crossed the line. In the debates that followed and from the live action goal cam shots, it seems to divide opinion into 'you can't really tell but it looks in' and 'you can't really tell, it doesn't look in'.

Unfortunately, the only opinion that mattered came from the only person in the stadium who thought he was certain.

Ramsbottom was in action again in 68 minutes when he managed to keep out a long range effort from Fyvie that moved in several directions before the keeper managed to get a hand to it.

Sons best chance of the game came on 86 minutes when a fabulous ball from Nat Wedderburn split the home defence and found his fellow sub Conner Duthie who steadied himself before firing in a low shot that Stuart McKenzie did well to palm away.

Cove then broke forward and from a free kick straight from the training ground managed to hit the woodwork.

Sons final chance at snatching a point came three minutes into stoppage time when Ryan McGeever sent in a dangerous cross that Robert Jones just failed to get his head to.