Clyde3–1Dumbarton

Clyde became the first team to defeat Dumbarton on their League 2 travels this season, as the Sons fell to ninth in a congested fourth tier table.


Mark Durnan’s early own goal was cancelled out by a 100th career goal for Leighton McIntosh. But ex Son Jinky Hilton returned to haunt his former side early in the second-half, before Scott Williamson sealed the win late on.


And boss Stevie Farrell admitted that his side are shooting themselves in the foot with some kamikaze defending - as their wait for a first clean sheet in the league stretched into its 11th game.


He said: “I feel like a broken record a wee bit. The goals we’re conceding don’t give us an opportunity in games.


“We’ve worked for a fortnight on the new shape and trying to defend properly. For long periods we were good and I liked what we did. Shay has only had two saves to make in the whole game.


“We’ve had a mixup for an own goal and we’ve had countless chances to clear the second goal. The boys have said it themselves. Teams are not having to work for goals against us. Individual errors are killing us.”


Farrell stuck with the 3-5-2 first trialled against Tayport a week previous, with Scott Tomlinson returning in place of the injured Ally Roy.


It was Sons who started the brighter on a bitterly cold afternoon, with Morgyn Neill powering a header at Jay Hogarth in the home goal - before former Bully Wee man Dom Docherty stung the keeper’s palms from the edge of the area after a slick move.


Good play from Scott Tomlinson then found Scott Honeyman in the area, with the forward taking a superb touch before spinning and drilling inches wide of the far post.


At the other end, Darren Hynes smashed into the side netting from a tight angle after breaching Sons’ offside trap.


With 26 minutes played however, the visitors found themselves behind - in bizarre fashion.


A hopeful ball in from the right looked harmless, only for a breakdown in communication that led to Mark Durnan nodding beyond the stranded Shay Kelly and into the empty net.


Aside from a speculative Ryan Blair volley from the edge of the area, chances were at a premium for the remainder of the half - but Sons did manage to draw themselves level.


Superb play from Scott Tomlinson saw him drive down the right and drill across goal for Leighton McIntosh to stab into the net from point blank range.


The joy was short lived however, as the home side restored their lead six minutes into the second period.


A high ball into the area had Sons in disarray at the back, with the ball breaking to former Dumbarton man Jinky Hilton to prod beyond Kelly.


The response from Dumbarton was almost immediate as Hogarth in the home goal flapped at a high ball, but the danger was cleared before it reached Scott Honeyman.


Superb play from goalscorer McIntosh then saw him drive beyond a collection of challenges and hammer a ball across the face of goal which was blazed over by Honeyman - with the offside flag sparing the teenager’s blushes.


Substitute Chris Johnston was next to threaten, as his superb touch saw him breeze towards the box before playing in Cammy Clark - but the full-back drilled his effort into teammate Honeyman and the chance was gone.


Scott Tomlinson continued to look a threat, and he was next to go close - cutting inside and arrowing a low effort towards the bottom corner that was superbly saved by Hogarth.


Not to be outdone, Sons keeper Shay Kelly then produced heroics to deny Jamie Bradley one-on-one with his feet.


After Tomlinson had again been denied by Hogarth, the hosts made sure of the points.


Substitutes Darren Lyon and Scott Williamson combined to carve open the Dumbarton defence, with Williamson skipping beyond goal and racing in on goal before smashing into the empty net.