Dumbarton2–2Airdrieonians

SO who saw that coming with 11 minutes left to play?

At that time, Dumbarton were staring down a very long barrel. Two goals behind against an Airdrieonians team who'd had a man less since the hour mark.

Gabby McGill had scored the first of those goals for the Diamonds before winning a second half penalty which Rhys McCabe converted.

But it's amazing what a difference two things can make. Firstly, the numerical advantage Sons gained when Sam Wardrop, once one of their own, picked up a second yellow card and was sent off.

And then Ryan McGeever headed them back into it with 10 minutes to play. Things were finally moving, Airdrie were rocking and Andy Geggan got the goal that claimed a point on 86 minutes.

Dumbarton's first effort to pick up from last week took them only two minutes. Ross MacLean swerved past the Airdrie defence on the corner of the box, but the keeper turned his effort away with Edin Lynch shooting over from the rebound.

Airdrie soon responded. A Rhys McCabe free kick was heading for the corner before Callum Erskine turned it wide. The resulting corner flew across goal untouched.

It went a bit flat after that but Erskine was beaten on 17 minutes. McGill's header from Callum Fordyce's ball into the box looped over him and found the net.

Sons looked to fight back but things were a bit rushed. David Hopkirk did look to play Kalvin Orsi in but the striker found the angle too narrow and fired wide.

The visitors continued to dictate the play and after a corner was only half cleared, Conner Duthie cleared Calum Gallagher's shot off the line.

The rest of the half was seen through, but a disastrous resumption was made to the game when McGill went down in the area with Erskine approaching.

Penalty it was, and up stepped McCabe to score.

Sons were rattled, and soon afterwards Erskine got a fist to Gallagher's shot which spun towards goal and only just stayed the right side of the line.

But a lifeline was given in terms of numbers on the hour mark when Wardrop clipped MacLean for a second caution and subsequent red card.

Despite the numerical advantage, Sons toiled. They saw more of the ball, but chances were scarce.

That was until the game reached its 80th minute. A free kick bounced invitingly at the back post but a Diamonds defender hooked it behind for a corner.

From that corner, McGeever was there to power home the header. Game on.

With six minutes left, a ball into the box found MacLean at the back post, but his header went across goal and wide.

But with four remaining, a cutback found Geggan on the edge of the area and he rolled it home. Salvation.

And a goal which kept Dumbarton, at this very early stage, top of League One.