DUMBARTON 2 C Gallagher (37), Burt (87) FALKIRK 5

Jakubiak (19), Longridge (47), Robson (59), Sibbald (70), Mckee (86)

Falkirk boss Paul Hartley said that he wants his side to take their strong finish to the season into the next campaign as his the Bairns coasted past Dumbarton with a comfortable 5-2 victory at the Your Radio Stadium.

After watching his players follow up their midweek win over champions St Mirren by going nap against the sorry Sons who will fight the drop to League 1 in the relegation play-offs, the former Alloa and Dundee boss said: “It was a really good team performance and we scored some positive goals.

“We’ve done OK since the turn of the year and we want to take this into next season.”

There was little to write home about in the opening stages, but the visitors took the lead after 19 minutes when Alex Jakubiak flicked the ball home from close range after Craig Sibbald’s shot deflected to the on loan striker.

Chances followed for Dumbarton to equalise, but Conor Hazard denied Callum Gallagher and then Danny Handling.

Gallagher would soon get the better of Hazard, though, as he finished clinically to even things up before he hit the post just moments later.

Most fans were still making their way back to the seats for the second half when Louis Longridge lifted the ball over Jamie Ewings in the Sons goal to put the Bairns ahead for a second time.

Tommy Robson made it 3-1 just before the hour mark with a shot from range that never looked in doubt of missing the bottom corner.

Three was quickly four as Sibbald curled the ball into the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the box.

The visitors continued to control the second half and Joe Mckee added a fifth with a low drive from 30 yards, before Dumbarton sub Liam Burt added a consolation with a low drive across Hazard from the edge of the box to complete the scoring in the final stages.

Dumbarton Boss Stevie Aitken said: “We were good in the first half and created a lot of chances but there’s been a confidence issue in the team since the cup final that we need to cut out quite quick ahead of the play-offs.”