Lady Luck turns back on City with late blow

BRECHIN CITY 0 DUMBARTON 1

Brechin’s miserable start to the Championship season continued on Saturday with fellow part-timers Dumbarton winning at Glebe Park.

The only goal came in the dying seconds in what was a personal disaster for full-back Willie Dyer.

Former Forfar defender Chris McLaughlin collected the ball wide on the left and delivered a cross into the City box where it rebounded off the leg of Dyer and rolled into the net.

City boss Darren Dods was understandably extremely disappointed. He said: “I just couldn’t see Dumbarton scoring and when the ball came off Willie’s leg and rolled into the net it just summed up the way things have been going for us.

“We’ve been getting plaudits for the way we’ve been playing but at the end of the day it’s all about winning matches.

“We just seem to be lacking in that final third and we just didn’t do enough in that area today to really hurt Dumbarton.”

The first half had been evenly balanced with defences on top.

City had a decent opportunity in the 33rd minute when Isaac Layne played a pass across the Dumbarton box for fellow striker Kalvin Orsi who fired in a shot which was tipped round the post by Sons keeper Scott Gallacher.

Dumbarton threatened seven minutes later when a Stuart Carswell pile-driver was tipped over the bar by Graeme Smith.

The second half followed the pattern of the first with both teams enjoying a fair share of possession and pressure, but again chances were few and far between.

City midfielder Liam Watt’s 25-yard drive was tipped on to the bar by Gallacher and Sons substitute David Wilson saw a shot turned round the post by Smith.

It seemed certain that a share of the spoils would be the outcome until the last seconds when Dyer’s own-goal brought jubilation for the visitors while the City players, despite their commendable workrate and effort, were left in utter despair.