If Dundee United do get out of the Championship at the end of this season then Dumbarton will certainly be sorry to see them go.
The Sons are not merely a bogey team for the Tangerines, they are a pain in the backside. They seem to bring out the worst in them.
Ask United supporters for a lowlight of last season then there is a good chance that either or both of the two losing trips to their stadium will get a mention, while the draw in April at Tannadice wasn’t exactly a thriller.
For goodness sake even the name of Dumbarton’s ground – it is currently called The YOUR Radio 103FM Stadium – is annoying.
Mind you, it’s not their fault that they find it easier to play United than most of the other sides in the Championship.
They may be part-time but that didn’t stop them taking seven out of 12 points off Ray McKinnon’s men last season and they were at it again on Saturday.
They actually looked on course to win this game, with United struggling to make any headway after the Sons took a fifth-minute lead through David Smith.
That they didn’t hang on was down to a moment of magic from United substitute James Keatings, who scored a cracker of a freekick just three minutes from time.
It all left United manager Ray McKinnon an unhappy man but he nevertheless insisted that his team will get better over time.
McKinnon said: “I’m very frustrated again.
“We’re just not at it right now.
“We’re not playing as well as we can and an individual error cost us and gave them something to hang onto.
“I’m disappointed but we got a better response in the second half, although I’m not saying we were bang at it.
“There is a lot of room for improvement and there is no doubt they will improve.
“But it’s just disappointing that it took us until the 87th minute to score a goal against Dumbarton.
“There were a lot of performances there that really need to be improved upon because if they don’t they’ll find themselves out of the team.
“I felt they got anxious and then they stopped doing the things we asked them to do, which I was surprised about.
“They need to believe in what we’re trying to do but maybe losing that early goal spooked them.”
The players may have been “spooked” but the fans were scared out of their wits at times as United struggled.
It goes without saying that results like this just aren’t good enough for a team with title ambitions.
The Tangerines made three changes to the side that started their last league match, the defeat away to St Mirren just before the international break.
Out of the line-up went Mark Durnan, Willo Flood and Billy King, to be replaced by William Edjenguele, Jordie Briels and Scott Fraser. The United captain for the day was Fraser Fyvie.
Tannadice was stunned on just five minutes when the Sons took the lead.
A mistake by Stewart Murdoch in the right-back area gifted possession to the visitors. Tom Walsh swung the cross over to the back post and, with United’s Jamie Robson failing to clear, the ball was prodded over the line by the thigh of Smith.
It was a terrible goal for United to lose but they still should have regained their composure. Instead, they seemed anxious way too early in the game and snatched at the chances they got.
They created a decent opportunity on 20 minutes when Paul McMullan broke upfield and fed Fraser. The midfielder took it first time with his left boot but keeper Scott Gallacher did well to save.
On the half-hour mark, McMullan played a fine pass through to Briels, who did the hard part by rounding keeper Gallacher but then sliced his shot wide.
The Tangerines huffed and puffed without really hurting the visitors, with a McMullan corner that was punched off the line by Gallacher and a low drive by McDonald not quite good enough.
Referee Greg Aitken blew early for half-time and, frankly, you certainly couldn’t blame him. The United players walked off with boos ringing in their ears.
There had to be change and it came in the form of Patrick N’Koyi on for Sam Stanton. The Congolese-Dutchman teamed up with McDonald in attack.
N’Koyi had a shot at goal three minutes after the restart which took a deflection but wasn’t rewarded with a corner.
McMullan squared the ball across the face of goal on 51 minutes but N’Koyi could quite get his feet sorted and failed to connect.
On the hour, Dumbarton’s Dimitris Froxylias stung the hands of keeper Harry Lewis with a freekick then Briels smashed a shot in from 25 yards only for Gallacher to push the ball away for a corner.
McMullan blew another chance on 64 minutes when he ended up skying his shot from 12 yards. The same player should have burst the net for United on 70 minutes when he was found at the back post by a Billy King cross from the left but nodded over from just a few yards out.
Remarkably, it should have been 2-0 to Dumbarton on 75 minutes when Walsh fired in a shot that had to be pushed on to the bar by United keeper Lewis.
Up at the other end, a dangerous King cross was cut out by Gallacher then McDonald hooked a strike over on 78 minutes.
The minutes ticked by as Keatings replaced Briels for the Tangerines but it proved to be a crucial switch.
With 87 on the clock, King was felled at the edge of the box by Dumbarton’s David Wilson, resulting in a freekick in a great position. Up stepped Keatings to curl a superb shot past the outstretched arm of Gallacher.
There weren’t much in the way of celebrations, however, as they went looking for a winner but all United got was another chorus of boos from their fans at the final whistle.
