Experienced Sons punish sloppy Fifers

EAST FIFE 0 DUMBARTON 2

Darren Young admitted his players only had themselves to blame after the Fifers slipped to an opening day defeat against Dumbarton.

Many are predicting Stephen Aitken’s Sons to make an immediate return to the Championship after dropping down a league last season.

And they certainly showed why against East Fife, easing to a 2-0 win which was comfortable in the end.

Once the Sons got their noses in front shortly after the break they controlled the game.

But it’s what went before that which frustrated manager Young, with the Methil men looking impressive before just dropping out of the game.

The early injury to influential forward Kevin Smith didn’t help matters and seemed to throw the Fifers off their stride.

Andy Dowie opened the scoring a couple of minutes after the half-time break when he headed home Ross Forbes’ corner, before Callum Gallagher added a second before the hour mark when he too finished from a corner kick.

Young said: “We were totally in control and then Kev goes off injured and it changed the game a bit.

“The last bit of the first half they started coming into the game and were the better team but I didn’t feel they caused us too many problems.

“But at the start of the second half they get a corner and score from it with a free header, which is something we spoke about last season and is something we’re speaking about again.

“We did well in pre-season and then against St Johnstone and Forfar when it came to things like that. It’s frustrating as that one mistake costs you then at the other end you don’t take your chances either.

“Dumbarton are an experienced team. A lot of their players have been full-time and their game management is good. They punished us for it.

“The second goal comes from ourselves again, just a long ball over the top which we don’t deal with, they get the corner and another goal.”

East Fife’s Kevin Smith had to gow off injured in the first half.