Dumbarton1–0Stirling Albion

Dumbarton kicked off the new season with victory against 10 man Stirling Albion in the Premier Sports Cup.


Kyle Banner’s own goal was all that separated the sides, on an evening where the Sons named eight debutants in their starting lineup - and gave supporters plenty of reason to be positive on the newly widened surface at The Rock.


And boss Stevie Farrell was pleased with what he saw from his totally revised team.


He said: “The intensity of our play and passing was really, really good in the first 60-65 minutes. In the last 15 minutes or so we took the wrong options and didn’t manage the game in the right way.


“But we showed resilience when they had a few corners at the end and over the piece I thought that we deserved to win the game.


“We’ve got real pace in our team and Scott Honeyman is really intelligent at breaking the lines. You see that for the goal and his runs are so intelligent.


“But I was delighted with them all. This is the start of a project, it’s going to take time but we’ll get better and we’ll get stronger.


“It’s a good start, but we won’t be getting carried away and that’s important. But it was an important result for the fans after a tough few months, that was for them.”


Sons started the new era brightly, and could’ve been ahead inside three minutes.


Ryan Blair’s superb switch of play caught out the Binos defence, with Gordon Walker racing in behind and forcing Derek Gaston into an awkward save at his near post.


At the other end, Albion’s Harry Wright tested Shay Kelly from the edge of the area - before Ryan Shanley flashed wide of the former St Mirren keeper’s far post.


Dumbarton had enjoyed most of the possession however, and a superb move almost led to the opener with 15 minutes on the clock.


St Mirren loanee Thomas Falconer showed superb skill to nutmeg his full-back before curling in a terrific cross that was met by the onrushing Ally Roy, but the former Albion man saw his effort crack the bar.


Another flowing move down the right involving Walker and the ever-lively Scott Tomlinson then saw the latter’s cross reach Scott Honeyman, but he sliced at the ball and the danger was cleared.


That would be as close as either side came until the brink of half-time, when Albion defender Robbie McNab ghosted in to attack a corner - but glanced narrowly wide.


The second-half started with two moments that changed the game.


First the Binos were left frustrated as referee Jamie Wilkie waved away claims for a foul on Adam Brown, with Sons’ Falconer racing clear in possession.


Ross Cunningham kicked out at the 17-year-old on the half-way line, leaving referee Wilkie with no option but to show the forward his second red card in as many games against Dumbarton.


And Sons quickly made the man advantage count.


A slick move down the right sent Scott Honeyman clear in the box, with his delivery launched into his own net by the helpless Kyle Banner.


The impressive Ally Roy almost added a killer second soon after, as Ryan Blair pounced on slack play at the back and sent the forward clear - but he was denied by a superb Ross McGeachie block.


Roy then showed his worth at the other end by clearing a header from a corner that was only half-cleared, whilst Shay Kelly denied Binos trialist Aidan Cannon.


Substitute Carrick McEvoy almost curled in a second for Dumbarton as the game moved into the final 10 minutes, but his effort was pushed away by the full-stretch Gaston.


The St Mirren youngster then showed superb skill to open up space in midfield before sending an inch-perfect pass into the path of Scott Tomlinson - but he was denied one-on-one by the onrushing Gaston.


Alan Maybury’s side laid siege to the Dumbarton box in the final minutes, but couldn’t find a leveller - with Robbie McNab denied by a mixture of the post and Shay Kelly, before keeper Gaston’s speculative bicycle kick bounced harmlessly wide.