Short-handed Sons head to Wales with eye on final

Dumbarton are set to be a not-so-magnificent seven players down when they visit Welsh champions The New Saints in the Irn-bru Cup semi-final tonight.

It is the Sons’ first semi since Walter Smith headed into his own net to send Hearts on their way to a 3-0 success in a 1976 Scottish Cup replay.

Liam Dick, Aidan Wilson, Andy Stirling and Kevin Nesbit are cup-tied, Sam Wardrop and Chris Mclaughlin are out with ankle injuries and Dougie Hill is struggling.

Manager Stephen Aitken said: “We have been short of players before and won. Just last month we went up to Peterhead in midweek with only 12 fit players and won a Scottish Cup tie.”

In tomorrow’s semi Inverness Caley Thistle host Northern Irish side Crusaders, who are top of their league. The Hatchetmen’s manager Stephen Baxter reckons that one of the reasons for his side’s success has been the Irnbru Cup.

Baxter is hoping that the spirit forged during away wins over Forfar and Dundee United will see them succeed again. “We are just a part-time side so the players do not spend a lot of time in each other’s company so the chance to go away for a couple of days and treat things like a European trip has been great for us.”