DUMBARTON WEATHER STORM TO END UNITED RUN

RAY McKINNON was disappointed after his side’s Hogmanay howler saw their long unbeaten run come to an end at the hands of struggling Dumbarton.

United’s 14-match stretch was halted as they went down 1-0 to a dogged and wellorganised Dumbarton side in brutal conditions.

Wind and rain lashed around the stadium and the blustery conditions played a major part as Mark Docherty’s speculative cross evaded everyone before bouncing over Cammy Bell and into the net to give the Sons a priceless victory.

McKinnon said: ‘I’m really disappointed. It’s a strange, freakish goal which has got caught up in the wind and found its way into the goal, so that’s frustrating.

‘Not to make excuses but that was horrific conditions and to ask your players to be technical is difficult, so we’ll just take this one on the chin and move on.’

In a scrappy opening 10 minutes, neither side really tested their opposing goalkeeper, with Blair Spittal’s control letting him down inside the area for United whilst a Mark Docherty effort from distance for the hosts was collected by Bell.

The wet conditions weren’t conducive to free-flowing football and the opening goal summed up the way the game had been played.

On 27 minutes, Docherty swung a speculative cross into the area from the left which caught the wind, missing everyone in the box before looping over a helpless Bell and into the back of the net.

The part-timers were almost two up on 38 minutes but Joe Thomson’s half-volley from the edge of the box flew just over the bar.

United thought they were level a minute later when Simon Murray tapped in from closerange but the linesman adjudged Paul Dixon to have carried the ball

out before he cut the ball back.

The wind was still causing havoc in the second half and United were almost the beneficiaries on 55 minutes when Mark Durnan’s effort flicked onto the bar and just over after Scott Fraser’s dangerous corner.

United’s inability to create any clear-cut openings was shown when Dixon sent an ambitious 35-yard effort miles wide on 58 minutes, which did nothing to improve the United fans’ mood.

McKinnon’s men were dominating the ball but struggled to break down the dogged Dumbarton side, although substitute Cammy Smith — on for Murray — almost had the desired impact on 73 minutes.

The Aberdeen-loanee cut inside from but saw his deflected effort curl over and land on the roof of the net.

Fraser was next to go close for the away side on 76 minutes, but the tricky winger’s freekick from the edge of the box floated just over the bar.

United were starting to pile on the pressure and rampaging centreback Durnan should have had them level with 10 minutes remaining when he continued his run into the box but he headed wide from Dixon’s cross.

Durnan was thrown up front for the final five minutes and would have pulled United level but for Alan Martin’s brilliant save from his back-post header on 85 minutes.

Delighted Sons boss Steven Aitken said: ‘It’s a terrific result and performance.

‘We had to dig really deep in the second half but it shows the character of the players against the league leaders.’