Forfar Athletic2–0Dumbarton

Dumbarton’s winless run stretched to seven matches after defeat against Forfar Athletic at Station Park.

 

Martin Rennie’s deflected opener early in the second-half was added to by a late Jake Dolzanski strike, leaving Sons without a win on the road since September.

 

However boss Frank McKeown backed his side to turn things around, saying: “In the first-half I thought we were in it and if we were a bit tidier on the ball we’d have gone in 1-0 up. We got in behind a couple of times and I thought it was coming.

 

“Then we come out in the second-half, a shot hits a defender’s back and spins into the net and we’re 1-0 down. Those are the things that don’t go for you when you’re down the bottom of the league and it’s where we are right now.

 

“The whole group is giving us everything, they are really together and really positive. They believe that we’re going to get out of this. We’re trying different things to get a reaction and get three points.”

 

After a damaging defeat to Edinburgh a week previous, boss McKeown rang the changes - with new signing Mikey Doyle joining fellow January addition Aaron Brown, Ryan Blair and Scott Honeyman in a freshened-up starting 11.

 

Sons had the better of the first-half, with full debutant Brown looking lively on his first start.

 

The former Ayr United man’s crossfield pass sent Scott Honeyman clear, but his ball into a great area was cleared by the diving Aron Lynas.

 

Debutant Doyle then charged forward from deep inside his own half and let fly, with his shot deflected for a corner - before Kai Kirkpatrick stung Marc McCallum’s palms from the edge of the area after a neat move down the left.

 

Aaron Brown then twice went close to finding an opener.

 

Another sharp move down the left cut Forfar open, with the winger seemingly getting caught in two minds and sliding a cross-shot across the face of goal.

 

Five minutes later Sons put together their best move of the game.

 

Ryan Blair found himself in behind and squared for Brown, but this time he was denied from point-blank range by home keeper Marc McCallum - with the offside flag then going up.

 

After more sharp play down the left saw a booming Blair delivery bravely cleared, Sons passed up another good chance as the game moved towards half-time.

 

Scott Honeyman’s terrific touch took him in behind, with his cross causing chaos in the Forfar rearguard as two defenders collided, but Kai Kirkpatrick was denied by a superb last-ditch challenge.

 

Sons were almost made to pay for that missed chance on the stroke of the interval.

 

Veteran Blair Alston was sent clear and flashed a ball across the face of goal that was just missed by former Son Callum Wilson.

 

That was a warning shot from Jim Weir’s men however, who took just nine second-half minutes to get themselves in front.

 

Alston laid a throw-in off to Martin Rennie, who went for goal - with his effort taking a huge deflection to wrongfoot Brett Long and nestle in the net.

 

A quickfire second almost arrived as Rennie touched in at the back post soon after, but this time Sons were rescued by the flag of the assistant referee.

 

In an attempt to swing the momentum back in their favour, boss McKeown turned to his bench - with Tony Wallace, Kristian Webster, Ally Roy and debutant Jack Duncan all introduced, however it was the Loons who continued to have the better of the play.

 

Rennie was denied a second from Scott Shepherd’s cutback by some last ditch defending, before firing straight at Long from the edge of the area.

 

With four minutes remaining however, the hosts made the points secure as Jake Dolzanski bundled home in a busy penalty area.

 

Sons almost managed a consolation as terrific work from Honeyman saw him charge into the area - but his cross was bravely cut out by home keeper McCallum, as the Loons stretched their gap over the Sons to nine points.