TEN-MAN SONS RUN DUNDEE CLOSE
JAMES McPAKE admitted he would have taken a ground-out victory after his Dundee side edged through to the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.
Half-time substitute Leigh Griffiths’ penalty was the only goal of the game on an afternoon when the Dark Blues were pushed all the way — even with an extra man.
Dumbarton’s Ross MacLean was sent off a minute before the break after an off-the-ball flashpoint with visiting captain Cammy Kerr.
McPake said: ‘When you look at other games, would we have taken it before the game? One hundred per cent.
‘It wasn’t pretty, we know ourselves that we should have been out of sight.
‘We got the goal in the end. We have boys in the dressing room who have won this cup and all we want to do is get the win. That’s what we’ve got, so we’re on the bus home happy.’
The last time Dumbarton beat Dundee was New Year’s Day 1985, with Albert Craig scoring the only goal of the game at Boghead Park.
But despite that, and their lowly position in League One, the Sons looked far from out of place in the first half, although Josh Mulligan should have scored early on for Dundee, shooting straight at Sam Ramsbottom.
Midway through the first half, MacLean’s cheeky backheel almost found the net, but keeper Ian Lawlor was alert for the visitors.
As half-time approached and Dumbarton prepared to send in a free-kick, MacLean was deemed guilty of elbowing Kerr in the stomach and was shown a straight red card.
Griffiths provided the game’s decisive moment just after the hour mark. Joe McKee’s efforts to slide in and block Max Anderson’s cross resulted in a handball offence which saw the referee point to the spot.
Ramsbottom did get a hand to Griffiths’ penalty, resulting in initial cheers from the home support, but it was powerful enough to find the net.
After Kerr missed with a free header from a corner, Dumbarton threw everything forward but found the Dundee defence tough to break down.
Home manager Stevie Farrell said: ‘It’s very difficult when you are down to 10 men.
‘There was nothing in the game in the first half and we stayed positive in the second. But Dundee are through and we wish them all the best.’