Dumbarton 0 Falkirk 0: Wet and windy draw

Strong winds caused both sides difficulty, Dumbarton in the first half, and the Bairns in the second.

In the first, with the wind at their backs, the Bairns were positive and it seemed only a matter of time before they scored their first goal since November 4.

However it didn’t come, try as the Bairns might.

They strung passes together and created half-chances, but Scott Gallacher took whatever was thrown at him, and saw the others wide.

Craig Sibbald and Rory Loy both tested the goalkeeper, while Jordan McGhee and Loy again fired wide and Reghan Tumilty headed a Tom Taiwo cross wide.

Conditions were troublesome though and a heavy park asn’t conducive to the Bairns attempts at passing, particularly after the rain that began half an hour in.

Robbie Mutch was tested by David Wilson and managed to punch an awkwardly spinning strike from Christian Nade out.

The 3-5-2 set-up favoured by Paul hartley was working well with Craig Sibbald getting on the ball, Tom Taiwo winning it back in his tiger-ish style and Mark Kerr distributing from the midfield, but there was still no breakthrough.

The Bairns were forced to change system when Tony Gallacher went off with a recurrence of his hamstring issue, and switched to a 4-1-4-1.

Working against the weather in the second half chances were fewer and further between, and after a lengthy halt to proceedings for Sons’ left-back Chris McLaughlin to be stretchered off with ankle ligament damage, and Myles Hippolyte – on for Gallacher –presented the impressive Loy with the chance of the match but the striker couldn’t get enough on the ball to turn the ball in at close range.

Robbie Mucth was the busier of the goalkeepers in the second half and working against the Sons and the wind, Falkirk’s play broke down towards the end much to the frustrations of the travelling support.

There were no goals scored – again – but no goals conceded, meaning no ground made, or lost on the Sons above them in the league.