East Fife1–1Dumbarton

Scott Honeyman’s stoppage time leveller earned Dumbarton a point against League One East Fife.


Nathan Austin’s first-half effort looked like it would be the winner in an entertaining clash between the two sides at New Bayview, only for Honeyman to stab in his third of the season in the first minute of stoppage time.


And boss Stevie Farrell felt his side merited their point against Dick Campbell’s men.


He said: “I enjoyed the game. I thought it was really enjoyable, regardless of the result. But I thought we deserved the goal at the end and that a draw was a fair result.


“I enjoyed watching my team, and I would imagine Dick Campbell felt the same.


“They are a real threat from set-pieces and throw-ins, but they didn’t really open us up from open play. And that’s been the story of our season.


“At half-time I felt we could take our time a wee bit more at the top end of the pitch. We were in the second-half, and we created chances because of it. It would’ve been great to nick the win, but I think a draw was a fair result.”


Farrell shuffled the pack with Ollie Ecrepont, Aron Lynas, Cammy Clark, Tony Wallace, Scott Honeyman and Kristian Webster all earning starts.


And the refreshed Sons got off to the perfect start as Cammy Clark’s cross inside the opening two minutes was handled in the area by Reis Peggie, with referee Duncan Williams taking a moment before pointing to the spot.


The usually reliable Tony Wallace stepped up, however his effort was at the perfect height for Matty Rollo in the home goal - with the keeper pushing the ball to safety.


That set the tone for an entertaining first-half that brought plenty of chances at both ends.


Brave defending denied Andy Munro and Sam Culbert as Sons struggled to fully clear an early East Fife corner, before the host’s talismanic forward Nathan Austin tamely headed straight at Ecrepont from a great position.


At the other end, Morgyn Neill set Scott Honeyman racing clear - but nobody in white could get on the end of the forward’s cutback.


The Fifers took that onboard and hit back, as they fired Sons a warning shot on the half-hour.


After struggling to clear a ball into the box, Livingston loanee Culbert tried to curl a low effort into the bottom corner - with the ball bouncing off the inside of the post and eventually being hacked to safety.


However Dick Campbell’s side wouldn’t be denied for long, as they found a breakthrough 10 minutes before the interval - with the impressive Culbert again involved.


He cut beyond a challenge and fired a low ball into the area that Nathan Austin deflected beyond the full stretch Ecrepont.


The second period started with the home side going close again, with Lewis Latona firing straight at Ecrepont from a good position.


Sons looked to respond with Scott Honeyman sent in on goal, but he was denied by a sharp Rollo stop from a tight angle.


Dom Docherty was next to go close, as his powerful drive from range was deflected wide for a corner.


As the game moved beyond the hour mark, boss Farrell brought on winger Scott Tomlinson - with the Ayr United loanee’s pace immediately causing issues for the home side.


That wasn’t until after the perfectly placed Honeyman had cleared an Andy Munro header off the line however.


Tomlinson twice used his pace to cause Reis Peggie issues as he chased balls over the top, but both times was off target with his finish.


Former Son Robert Jones then missed a golden chance to make the points secure, as he got his finish from eight yards all wrong - skewing the ball wide and out of play for a throw-in.


After Austin had glanced a header from Peggie’s cross wide of target, Sons created one last chance. And made it count.


Substitute Ally Roy showed superb strength and composure to slip Scott Tomlinson in on goal, with his shot deflected into the path of Scott Honeyman - who had the simplest of tasks to stab into the empty net. Stretching Sons’ unbeaten run in the tournament to three matches.