Pushing the right Huttons
Kyle enjoying a new lease of life at Sons
is still RYAN McGEEVER out for Brechin and striker on-loan Aberdeen is a Connor McLellan injury doubt with an ankle St for their game with Stelios Mirren who have and Demetriou banned Gary MacKenzie, Gary out. Irvine and Josh Todd David Smith has been added to the Dumbarton squad but Mark Stewart have and Dimitris Froxylias and joined Grant Gallagher the Danny Handling on with injury list for the clash Lions are Livingston. The Ross without injured pair Brown and Scott Robertson while Danny Mullen is a doubt. Nicky Dunfermline have Clark back but Aaron Ryan Splaine and Andy game remain out for the with Queen of the South who are without crocked and duo Callum Fordyce Danny Carmichael. and Connor McManus injured Lee Kilday are still a for Morton who face side with Dundee United Thomas Scobbie back after a ban. But Lewis and Toshney, Jordie Briels Willo Flood are out. DUMBARTON boss Stevie Aitken reckons Kyle Hutton has been the driving force behind the Sons’ terrific recent run.
The ex-Rangers midfielder was at a crossroads in his career last summer when his conEtrUacAt terminated a year early.
He had spent most of the season on loan at Airdrie in League One and the future looked bleak for the midfielder who played in the Champions League as a teenager.
However, Aitken and his assistant Ian Durrant, who worked with Hutton at Rangers, gave him his chance and he is now bossing the centre of the park as the Sons yet again solidify their Championship status.
Aitken has no doubts that Hutton’s form is one of the reasons he has been named Ladbrokes Championship Manager of the Month for November.
He said: “Kyle has maybe lost his way a bit in recent times but he has been outstanding for us.
“He’s someone who played in the Champions League with Rangers at 19 so we know his quality and he has been delivering.
“He is enjoying a new lease of life – and it’s the same with Tom Walsh who has been in terrific form.
“I believe Tom has the capability of playing at a higher level and he is showing that, especially after grabbing the winner against St Mirren last week.
“At the back Andy Dowie and Craig Barr have great experience so we have good spine to the team.”
Dumbarton were unbeaten in November and also progressed in the Scottish and Irn-Bru cups to make Aitken top boss.
He said: “It’s a great accolade but while my name is on the trophy it’s all about the whole team and the staff.
“We’ve only lost one in our last eight matches and with a bit of luck we might have won our last three in a row so I think that shows how well we’re doing.
“We should have beaten Dunfermline, we lost a late goal to Queen of the South and then beat St Mirren in the space of seven days.
“But we know that you can quickly get knocked down flat in this division so we need to maintain the levels we have shown.”
Meanwhile, Livi head to Dumbarton today looking to cement third place and striker Nikolay Todorov insists they will never become complacent.
The Bulgarian, on loan from Hearts, said: “We fight for absolutely everything. We’re really happy where we are just now but we don’t forget were we come from.
“We’ll keep doing the same, work hard and see where that takes us.
“We know it’s going to be a very difficult game against Dumbarton.
“They are a well-organised team and the conditions will be tough but we need to stand up and be men.
“If we do that we can get the three points.”