Elgin City 0 Dumbarton 1: New-look Black and Whites go down to Dumbarton in scrappy Borough Briggs encounter
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Elgin City weren't able to make it three home wins on the spin as they went down to promotion chasers Dumbarton.
With Brian Cameron suspended following his red card in the 2-1 defeat at Forfar, Cove Rangers loanee Mark Gallagher came in for his debut as did left back Lyall Booth who replaced Blair McKenzie and Caley Thistle teenager Keith Bray, who came in with Robert Jones dropping to the bench.
Ex-Huntly man Booth showed his intention from the off with a crunching challenge on Finl;ay Gray on halfway inside the first minute.
The Sons had a strong wind at their backs and missed a glorious chance on two minutes when Carlo Pignatiello,s cross from the right picked out Tony Wallace at the back post but he somehow headed wide from point blank range.
The conditions didn’t help City get into their stride but the new players started to find their feet and a 15th minute break saw Dajon Golding link up well with Russell Dingwall before firing well wide.
McHale saved superbly from T Wallace three minutes later but the offside flag was already up.
The first chance of note for Elgin arrived from a Dingwall corner on 26 minutes which was met by a Jake Dolzanski header, but Gray hooked it off the line at the post.
Two minutes later Dangana came so close to a home debut goal, cutting in from the left corner of the box and curling an effort inches wife of the right hand upright.
Dumbarton looked out of sorts with Elgin breaking up their forays and looking lively on the counter-attack.
However, the Sons finished the half strongly and City had an escape a minute before the break when Michael Ruth rolled a low shot off the base of the post and Kalvin Orsi couldn’t turn the rebound on target.
The warning wasn’t heeded by Elgin and in stoppage time they conceded the opening goal.
Orsi’s cross from the right again picked out the danger T. Wallace whose firm strike produced a great save from McHale, but it fell straight back into Wallace’s path and he stroked home the rebound.
The away side improved after the break, perhaps lifted by their goal just before half time.
They were awarded a free kick for handball on the 18-yard line just two minutes in, and Ryan Blair’s kick was tipped over by McHale.
On 55 minutes a solid surge by Gallagher worked the ball out to Dingwall and his cross broke in the goalmouth but Golding couldn’t turn it enough to hit the target.
McHale had to look lively to repel a fierce Michael Ruth strike on the hour as Dumbarton looked strong on the break.
City captain Matthew Cooper then had to block a netbound Rytan Wallace volley two minutes later.
Up at the other end, Golding took a Gallagher pass and chipped to the back post where the stretching Bray could only flick into the side netting on 64 minutes.
Robert Jones came on for Bray with 20 minutes and soon had a chance from Golding’s cross on the left but the big striker got his feet all wrong and miscued a shot well wide from eight yards.
It was end-to-end stuff with Sons’ sub Marc Kelly inches away from connecting with Blair’s curling ball from the left on 82 minutes.
City were struggling to break down a resolute Sons’ defence but had one last chance in stoppage time. Cooper crossed from the right and Gallagher rose at the far post but couldn’t keep his header down.
Elgin: McHale; Cooper, Dolzanski, Ewan, Booth; Dingwall, Draper, Gallagher; Bray (Jones 70), Golding, Dangana (Taylor 58).
Subs: Cairns, McKenzie, Jamieson, MacLeman, Kelly.
Dumbarton: Hogarth; Pignatiello, Newbury, Crighton, Lennon; Orsi (Kelly 64), Gray, Blair (Wilson 88), T Wallace; R Wallace (Malcolm 76), Ruth (Hilton 88).
Subs: Lynas, Vata, O’Neil.
Referee: Duncan Nicolson
Att: 611
