PARS 5
Dumbarton 1

Nicky Clark inspired the Pars to victory as his hat-trick of headers and perfectly placed finish buried Dumbarton at East End Park.

The striker took his goal tally for the season to double figures as his four goals, and a Paul McMullan drive, gave Allan Johnston’s men a dominant win.

Johnston once again kept faith in the same eleven that were unlucky not to take three points from Easter Road in their previous outing.

A hardy away support travelled down to back their team that battled to a deserved 2-2 draw with Falkirk last weekend as they went into today’s game looking to put distance between themselves and the relegation battlers.

Ex-Par Robert Thomson made sure Sean Murdoch was brought into action quickly as his stunning volley from the edge of the area was brilliantly tipped over with only 2 minutes played.

For Murdoch’s opposite number, Alan Martin, however, his first action was picking the ball out of the back of his net on 6 minutes.

Kallum Higginbotham linked well with Michael Moffat, who clipped a perfectly weighted ball to the back post where Clark was left unmarked to place a header past the rooted Martin.

Clark should have been thanking Moffat for another assist on 26 minutes as he played the striker clean through on goal down the middle. Martin was equal to his effort to keep his side only one behind.

That comfort lasted under a minute.

It would be Clark who would register the next assist. The striker done well to chase the ball down to the byline and play it back to McMullan, who after cutting inside, curled an effort into the far corner. An excellent second which the Pars well-deserved on 27 minutes.

Pars really ought to have made it three on 34 minutes but McMullan’s eagerness to fire at goal cost him, as he fired well over when a touch to settle himself was sorely needed.

Murdoch had the home support on their feet on 41 minutes when he pulled off an exceptional double save to deny the desperate visitors. He denied Thomson’s powerful header to bottom corner before David Smith’s drilled rebound was blocked by the outstretched legs of the in-form stopper as the half came to a close with the hosts on course to take a comfortable three points.

Stevie Aitken’s men spent the opening ten minutes of the second half in Dunfermline’s half trying to claw a goal back. Johnston’s side kept a solid defensive line and apart from the odd ball into the box, never looked like letting Dumbarton in.

On 59 minutes the game was finally put out of their reaches as Clark once again headed home. A wicked corner found the unmarked Clark whose header couldn’t be kept out by a Dumbarton body on the line.

Not wanting to be outdone by Clark, McMullan was denied a brace of his own by Martin on 71 minutes.

On 79 minutes however, Clark cemented his role as match-winner as once again, he was left on his own six yards out to head past Martin. It was a great ball in from substitute Lewis Spence as the Pars ran riot on a dismal Dumbarton.

Not happy with just scoring headers, Clark then grabbed his fourth with a placed finish inside the area on 84 minutes.

Never really having to up their game at any point, Johnston will have been delighted with his side’s performance, but a late consolation from Daniel Harvie on 85 minutes blemished an otherwise perfect display.

Pars: Murdoch, Talbot, Ashcroft, Morris, Geggan, Higginbotham, Wedderburn (Spence 72), Herron (McCabe 57), McMullan, Moffat (Reilly 74), Clark.
Subs not used: Hutton (GK), Fordyce, Cardle, Paton.
Scorers: Clark (6, 59, 79, 84), McMullan (27).

Dumbarton: Martin, Harvie, Buchanan, Barr, Smith, Thomson, Docherty (Lang 72), Carswell (Stanton 28), Stirling, Vaughan, Nade (Fleming 74).
Subs not used: Ewings (GK), McCrorie, Gallagher, Prior.
Scorer: Harvie (85)
Booked: Thomson, Buchanan

Referee: Kevin Clancy
Attendance: 3320.