Stranraer 2 Dumbarton 1

Last updated : 19 March 2005 By Footymad Previewer
Stranraer never looked like losing this one after establishing a two-goal lead in the first half hour and it was only a last minute penalty which brought late consolation to the visitors.

The home side made the most of the first half thanks to Michael Moore. The centre-back opened the scoring with a superb looping volley from 25 yards from a pass by Derek Wingate on 21 minutes.

Seven minutes later it was Moore who was making a goal, this time heading down cleverly into the path of Paul McManus who steered his shot just wide of the keeper and into the net via the inside of the far post.

On 33 minutes Dumbarton's Mark Bradley was booked for a foul on Gary McPhee and five minutes later the same Stranraer player was downed again this time by Paul Ronald who was also booked.

And on 41 minutes John Gemmell became the third Dumbarton man to be yellow carded for un-gentlemanly conduct.

Unluckiest player for the visitors in the first half had to be Iain Russell who twice had the ball in the net but saw both attempts ruled offside.

If the first half had been marked with goals, offside scores and bookings, the second period for long enough threatened to produce nothing.

Stranraer seemed to have made up their minds they had done enough and the visitors never looked like making any mark on the game until the 77th minute when Craig Brittain got their fourth yellow card.

Then with a minute left the referee decided that McPhee's tackle on substitute Eddie Annand had been an illegal one and from the resultant penalty Craig McEwan put Dumbarton on the scoresheet.

It was not much consolation to the few visiting fans and overall hardly a game to remember.