DUMBARTON 1 Docherty (pen. 54) DUNDEE UNITED 0
TRIUMPHANT Dumbarton manager Stevie Aitken hailed his part-time shock troops after a Mark Docherty penalty stunned Dundee United.
The former Premier League side have taken only one point out of six so far in the Championship.
Sons beat the newly-relegated St Mirren twice at the Rock last season, as well as Hibernian, and were at it again on 57 minutes when Docherty stepped up after Mark Durnan’s foul on Gregor Buchanan.
It was no more than the home side deserved.
And Aitken said: “Now we are able to get players back on the pitch we are starting to show what we are capable of.
“The players have had a bit of stick after the start to the season but they can enjoy their rewards tonight after that performance.”
For United, life in the second tier is already proving to be tougher than they may have anticipated.
Gaffer Ray MacKinnon said: “I’m disappointed. “We were so lacklustre. “But it’s a learning curve for the team and we need to make sure we learn from it quickly.
“This is a tough league where you get nothing for nothing.”
The first half was a tame affair which saw the Arabs showing minimal threat.
Cammy Smith did have one shot from the edge of the area but keeper Alan Martin was equal to it.
Buchanan had the best chance of the half for Sons when a corner dropped to him in the area six minutes from half time, but his shot was just too high.
Dumbarton also started the second half strongly, with Ryan Stevenson’s header turned wide before he thrashed in a 30-yard free kick which hit the bar.
However, when Durnan hauled down Buchanan as Stevenson’s corner came into the area Docherty, who also scored twice from t he spo t at Dunfermline, did the needful for Sons.
The feeling was real that Dumbarton, who inflicted a 1-0 defeat on United 21