It was only last Saturday that Dumbarton hosted us in our rearranged league match but this weekend, it’s our turn to play host as Ian Murray brings his Sons side to the Braidwood Motor Company Stadium.
The last time we met here, Dumbarton were on the end of a 5-0 rout and had only managed to secure one point from their opening seven games. This poor run continued and with only two points to their name come the end of October, the board decided that a change was needed if the club was to stand any chance of staying up and parted company with, then manager, Alan Adamson.
Assistant manager Jack Ross was asked to take the team until a replacement was found and whilst doing so, he managed to guide the side to a first league win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Cowdenbeath. This was just the boost that was needed around the club and only a fortnight later, ex-Scotland international Ian Murray was unveiled as Dumbarton’s new player-manager.
Murray wasn’t in the dugout for the first game after his appointment but as he sat in the stand at East End Park, a 4-0 defeat showed just the sort of work that needed done. As the bad weather hit over Winter and games fell victim to frozen pitches, Murray had a four week spell with no games and was able to get his players on the training ground and start to put his mark on things.
That downtime without a game and the chance for some extra training sessions seemed to work a treat for the Sons who went to the Falkirk Stadium and Cappielow back-to-back over the festive period and managed to turn both sides over 4-3 and 3-0 respectively to signal a turnaround was well underway.
A tough home match against Dunfermline finished in defeat but confidence wasn’t knocked in the camp and when league leaders Partick Thistle came calling to the Bet Butler Stadium the following week, Dumbarton showed that they have what’s needed to battle for their place in this league and despatched the Firhill side 2-0.
Impressive wins away to Airdrie and at home to Hamilton followed and this seen Murray’s team climb off the bottom of the table for the first time since the season started.
That took us up to last weekend when we visited Scotland’s inform team and managed to inflict only a second defeat in seven games. The ‘never say die’ attitude was there for all to see given that even when we stretched our lead to 4-1, Dumbarton continued to fight in the match and came desperately close to levelling the game late on.
The league table doesn’t look quite as bad for Dumbarton now and they sit in eighth place, three points ahead of both Cowdenbeath and Airdrie with two games in hand over the latter. With sixteen games left between now and the end of the season, Murray will be confident that his side have what it takes to stay in this division if they can continue to perform in the same way they have over the past six weeks or so since his arrival.
A strong first-half performance last week coupled with the two late goals will have Dumbarton coming here today full of confidence that, if they can keep focussed for the full ninety minutes, they could pick up three points today and be the first team to leave Livingston with a league victory since Partick Thistle did with a 2-1 win back in September last year.
Dave Black.
As published in 'ROAR' - the Livingston FC matchday magazine.
The last time we met here, Dumbarton were on the end of a 5-0 rout and had only managed to secure one point from their opening seven games. This poor run continued and with only two points to their name come the end of October, the board decided that a change was needed if the club was to stand any chance of staying up and parted company with, then manager, Alan Adamson.
Assistant manager Jack Ross was asked to take the team until a replacement was found and whilst doing so, he managed to guide the side to a first league win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Cowdenbeath. This was just the boost that was needed around the club and only a fortnight later, ex-Scotland international Ian Murray was unveiled as Dumbarton’s new player-manager.
Murray wasn’t in the dugout for the first game after his appointment but as he sat in the stand at East End Park, a 4-0 defeat showed just the sort of work that needed done. As the bad weather hit over Winter and games fell victim to frozen pitches, Murray had a four week spell with no games and was able to get his players on the training ground and start to put his mark on things.
That downtime without a game and the chance for some extra training sessions seemed to work a treat for the Sons who went to the Falkirk Stadium and Cappielow back-to-back over the festive period and managed to turn both sides over 4-3 and 3-0 respectively to signal a turnaround was well underway.
A tough home match against Dunfermline finished in defeat but confidence wasn’t knocked in the camp and when league leaders Partick Thistle came calling to the Bet Butler Stadium the following week, Dumbarton showed that they have what’s needed to battle for their place in this league and despatched the Firhill side 2-0.
Impressive wins away to Airdrie and at home to Hamilton followed and this seen Murray’s team climb off the bottom of the table for the first time since the season started.
That took us up to last weekend when we visited Scotland’s inform team and managed to inflict only a second defeat in seven games. The ‘never say die’ attitude was there for all to see given that even when we stretched our lead to 4-1, Dumbarton continued to fight in the match and came desperately close to levelling the game late on.
The league table doesn’t look quite as bad for Dumbarton now and they sit in eighth place, three points ahead of both Cowdenbeath and Airdrie with two games in hand over the latter. With sixteen games left between now and the end of the season, Murray will be confident that his side have what it takes to stay in this division if they can continue to perform in the same way they have over the past six weeks or so since his arrival.
A strong first-half performance last week coupled with the two late goals will have Dumbarton coming here today full of confidence that, if they can keep focussed for the full ninety minutes, they could pick up three points today and be the first team to leave Livingston with a league victory since Partick Thistle did with a 2-1 win back in September last year.
Dave Black.
As published in 'ROAR' - the Livingston FC matchday magazine.
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