Forfar Athletic 2 Dumbarton 1

A Ben Armour double helped  Forfar defeat table-topping Dumbarton amidst some difficult Station Park conditions.

The Loons got off to a quick start and should have been in front after just 2 minutes when Craig Thomson beat his man and picked out Stef McCluskey. He was unlucky to see his shot rebound off the bar.

Forfar’s task would get a little bit easier in the 12th minute. Some tenacious play from Armour allowed him to run at goal, only for Ryan McGeever to barge him over from behind, giving the referee no choice but to send him off.

The Athies continued to push in the opening 45 but, despite controlling play and having a number of shots, couldn’t find a breakthrough. McCluskey came closest with a flicked header and a lobbed effort which both went narrowly wide.

The hosts did eventually make the man advantage count in the second half and took the lead after 58 minutes. Ben Armour again pickpocketed the Dumbarton defence and expertly rolled his finish underneath former Forfar keeper Brett Long.

Andy Munro would come as close to doubling the lead as possible five minutes later. His curling effort from just inside the box smacked the inside of the post and trundled along the goal line, before kissing the other post and rolling wide.

It wouldn’t take long for Forfar to find the second however, Seb Ross latched on to a high through ball right on the corner of the box and was scythed down by his man giving Ben Armour the chance to score from the spot. It was a chance that he took, calmly slotting in after a bit of a wait for treatment to the felled Ross.

Dumbarton would be handed a lifeline after a rare foray forward allowed a corner to be swung into the box. The referee spotted an infringement, to the confusion of many around Station Park, and Ally Love reduced the deficit with 15 to play. 

The Loons were relatively comfortable and looked more likely to add to their tally than concede. Matty Aitken had the chance to wrap it up late on but he was smothered by  Long before he could finish.

Forfar should’ve added to their lead with the last kick off the ball, but the officials decided not to let Nathan Flanagan and two other Loons run through on goal unchallenged and blew up for full time. 

A fourth win in five games boosts the Loons up to 5th in the cinch League Two table, just a point behind East Fife in the playoff positions and the boys will be in a confident mood as they head to Stirling next week.