AITKEN’S SONS ALMOST SAFE

PROUD Dumbarton manager Stevie Aitken hailed his players as they all but secured their place in the Championship for next season.

The Sons dented Dundee United’s hopes of clinching second place by going ahead through goals in either half from Robert Thomson and Lewis Vaughan after Tony Andreu’s 22nd-minute opener for United, before Thomas Mikkelsen hit a late equaliser.

‘It’s a proud day,’ said Aitken. ‘Barring a disaster, we’ll be safe.

‘We were tipped to get relegated before a ball was kicked but we’re good at proving people wrong.’

United boss Ray McKinnon was left nursing an overall sense of frustration, saying: ‘It was one that got away.’