2017 then. A year that’s been far kinder than its predecessor for Dumbarton Football Club. A cup semi-final, five points clear of 9th and a further 11 clear of tenth, Ian Durrant, Lewis Vaughan, Dimitris Froxylias, the post-Christmas Andy Stirling and the returning Tom Walsh. It’s had plenty of high points - and only the occasional inter-teammate scrap…
Just like last year I’ve kept a big folder full of stats to compare and contrast 2017 with 2016. So read on and drop them in the next time your having a conversation prior to kick off with someone you don’t like. It’ll soon convince them to leave you alone. 2017 - A Year in Numbers 48 - Dumbarton have played 48 times in 2017, two less than in 2016. Postponements, the lack of two cup replays (the less said about how they went the better), and a shorter pre-season are all to blame for the final figure dropping. 15 - Wins. Despite playing two fewer games, the number of wins has managed to increase by three. Victories came against Raith Rovers (1-3) in January, the same opponents (4-0) in March. Morton (1-0) and Queen of the South (1-2) in April. Partick Thistle (2-1) and Clydebank (2-1) in July. Rangers U20s (2-1) in August. Connah’s Quay Nomads (2-1), Brechin City (2-1) and Inverness Caledonian Thistle (2-1) in September. Stranraer (2-1) in October. Brechin City (0-1), Raith Rovers (2-0) and Elgin City (1-0), in November and St Mirren (0-1) in December. This year’s win percentage is therefore 31.25% - a notable rise from the 24% recorded in both 2015 and 2016. 16 - Draws. Stevie Aitken loves a draw. In fact a quick look at Wikipedia shows that he loves a draw more than any other Sons manager in my lifetime. Aitken’s career tally of 32 from 113 games (28.3%) outdraws Ian Murray (13.8%), Alan Adamson (19.2%), Jim Chapman (23.8%), Gerry McCabe (19.3%), Paul Martin (22.4%) Brian Fairley (15.2%), David Winnie (17.6%), Tom Carson (19.4%), Jimmy Brown (15.2%) and Ian Wallace (25.3%). In a league this tough that’s probably not a bad trait to have. This year’s final draw percentage is an extremely high 33.3%, up from last year’s already higher than average 26% figure. 17 - Defeats. Which is actually not too many - especially compared to the final tally of 25 last year. The loss percentage has therefore dropped from 50% in 2016, to just 35% over the past 12 months. Given it was as high as 63% in 2015 one of two things will happen next year if the trend is to continue. A Championship promotion charge or...erm...relegation, followed by a promotion push. 3 - Wins by more than one goal. Sitting comfortably for the final five minutes knowing that you’ll be going home happy is a lovely feeling. It’s also one that we don’t get to experience very often. Just three victories in 2017 came by more than one goal, and all three were against Raith Rovers. 1-3 in January, 4-0 in March and 2-0 in November. After giving us Lewis Vaughan, and sacrificing themselves for our safety I’ve really developed a soft spot for our friends from Kirkcaldy! 4 - Following a similar trend, Sons’ heaviest defeats of the season have been by four goals. Both against Dunfermline Athletic. The 5-1 defeat at East End Park featured Nicky Clark scoring the same goal at least three times, and Stuart Carswell and Mark Docherty having a very public disagreement. Them were the days. A few months later the Pars came to visit a new look Dumbarton side, and strolled to a 0-4 success. There is a positive from this though (no, honestly, there is). In 2016 we lost by six clear goals twice (against Rangers and Queen of the South). If that’s not progress then I don’t know what is! 46 - Players have featured for Dumbarton in total over the calendar year, a figure that has dropped by one since 2016. Of those 46 just 21 remain at the Rock, including Kyle Prior, Danny Handling, Grant Gallagher and Jamie Ewings, all of whom have played just a handful of times over the past twelve months. 8 - Loan players. As always Stevie Aitken has been a frequent user of the loan market, with eight players featuring for the club having arrived on temporary transfers in 2017. Weirdly (well not really I suppose) this is the same number as played for the club in 2016. As of right now Sam Wardrop (Celtic), Ally Roy (Hearts) and Greg Morrison (Ross County) all remain at the Rock, with Roy and Morrison’s deals due to expire in early January. The five players who have seen their deals expire have all gone on to make a success of things elsewhere. Sam Stanton returned to Hibernian, only to be shipped out again to title-chasing Dundee United. Lewis Vaughan is attracting more than a few admiring glances having scored 18 times for Raith Rovers since their relegation. Axed Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha stated that Ross McCrorie was; “going to be the future of this country, not only this club” after he impressed on his debut against Partick Thistle. His comments were typically, erm, bold, but McCrorie has certainly been a shining light in another chaotic season for the Ibrox club. He came up against his former Sons loanee teammate Daniel Harvie earlier this month too, albeit only for nine minutes. The left-back has played just twice in the Dons’ top-team so far this season, however has made himself an ever-present in matchday squads. Perhaps the biggest shock has been Joe Nuttall. A late emergency loan signing from Aberdeen, Nuttall played just 20 minutes of football during his two months at the Rock, yet is now a rising star at Blackburn Rovers. Five goals in 13 top-team appearances (including two in three starts in League One) and ten in eight in the English Premier League’s U23 Division make him look like one that got away. 10 - Trialists. I’m convinced Stevie Aitken does this just to keep me occupied during pre-season. After such a massive turnaround of players there were always going to be plenty of new faces, and as always trying to name them became a bit of an obsession. Unlike last year however I was given a helping hand, as three would go on to sign for the club permanently. Chris Johnston, Dougie Hill and Chris McLaughlin are joined on the list by; Aidan McIlduff, Jordan Allan, Conor Cullen, Saheed Mustafa, Connor McManus and Luke Busumbru. McIlduff featured against Stranraer, Partick Thistle and Clydebank, before joining Peterhead. Cullen apparently played a half against Stranraer, and was around the squad for the game against Albion Rovers. Mustafa produced one of the most entertaining, and downright terrifying displays of defending I’ve ever seen for 65 minutes against Clydebank, whilst Luke Busumbru toiled against the same opposition. McManus produced a far more accomplished display in the same game (his only appearance for the club) before joining Greenock Morton, who have just announced that his contract won’t be renewed in January. That leaves just the final mystery trialist who played against Stranraer. I’ve no idea who he was, and have no pictorial evidence that he even existed. If anyone knows his identity (or can even confirm he existed) you know how to get me. 56 - Dumbarton have scored 56 goals this season, that’s four up on last season’s total of 52. The goals per game average has increased as a result too, up to 1.16 from 1.04 per game. Of those two have been penalties, seven have been from corners, five have been from free-kicks, two have been own-goals and the other 40 have came from open play. 22 - have been scored by players who are no longer with the club, a figure that has absolutely shot up from the ten at this stage last year. 21 - players have scored for Dumbarton in 2017 (23 if you include the unfortunate Willie Dyer and Callum Tapping), a figure that has risen by four since last year. The final chart looks like this: Robert Thomson - 7 goals Christian Nadé (1 pen) - 6 goals Mark Stewart - 5 goals Sam Stanton, Lewis Vaughan & Dimitris Froxylias- 4 goals Calum Gallagher (1 pen), Ally Roy & Tom Walsh - 3 goals Andy Stirling, Daniel Harvie, Craig Barr & OGs - 2 goals Greg Morrison, Gregor Buchanan, Garry Fleming, Jordan Allan (T), Stuart Carswell, Chris McLaughlin, David Smith, David Wilson & Sam Wardrop - 1 goal It says a lot about our woes in front of goal this season that Robert Thomson, who left the club in May and scored for the final time in April, is this calendar year’s top scorer. I berated the big man for weeks (*cough* months) on P&B, but he seriously found his form at the right time, and became an absolute joy to watch. In fact when he hit form I enjoyed watching him more than almost anyone else in recent times. 15 - Loan players have contributed a great deal in front of goal this year, unlike in 2016 when they scored just four times. Between them Sam Stanton, Lewis Vaughan, Ally Roy, Daniel Harvie, Greg Morrison and Sam Wardrop have hit the net 15 times. 26.7% of all our goals in 2017 were therefore scored by loanees. 19 - Players have assisted at least one goal in 2017. Given the ambiguity over what counts as an assist, this has always been something I’ve shied away from doing previously, however having made up my own definition (in my head at least) I went for it. Here’s the full breakdown: Christian Nadé & Andy Stirling - 7 assists Tom Walsh - 5 assists Robert Thomson & David Wilson - 4 assists Calum Gallagher, Sam Stanton, Dimitris Froxylias & Chris McLaughlin - 3 assists Stuart Carswell & Chris Johnston - 2 assists Josh Todd, Daniel Harvie, Mark Docherty, Garry Fleming, Lewis Vaughan, Mark Stewart & Sam Wardrop - 1 assist 67 - Conceded. Looking for an area where serious progress has been made? Here it is. In 2016 my tally marks were in chaos, all 89(!) of them. Thankfully that’s been addressed, and only a far more manageable 67 have been conceded - averaging at just 1.39 a game. Five ‘keepers have kept the net for Sons this year, a figure that has risen by one, however includes trialist Conor Cullen who played a half against Stranraer. The breakdown looks like this: Alan Martin - 27 conceded in 17 appearances (1.59 per game) Mark Brown - 1 conceded in 1 appearance (1 per game) Scott Gallacher - 36 conceded in 30 appearances (1.2 per game) Conor Cullen - 0 conceded in 1 appearances (0 per game) Jamie Ewings - 3 conceded in 3 appearances (1 per game) *This takes into account the goals conceded in friendlies where the ‘keepers were swapped at half-time, and Martin and Gallacher being subbed due to injury. 11 - Clean sheets have been recorded (up two from 2016), with Martin taking two, Cullen taking one and Gallacher recording eight. Well done to the respective ‘keepers for that. 3 - Penalties have been saved by Dumbarton ‘keepers in 2017, with both of Alan Martin’s ensuring that Dumbarton avoided defeat: Alan Martin vs Hibernian (James Keatings) 18/3 (FT 2-2) Alan Martin vs St Mirren (Rory Loy) 8/4 (FT 1-1) Scott Gallacher vs Livingston (Matthew Knox) 26/12 (FT 1-4) 13 - The most goals Dumbarton have conceded to a single team this year. Unsurprisingly that team are Dunfermline Athletic, who have scored five, two, four and two goals in the four meetings of the sides this year. 10 - The Ginger Tinkerman strikes again. Stevie Aitken has only selected the same team in consecutive weeks ten times in 2017, albeit a minor injury crisis and full squad rebuild in the summer have played a big part in that. 5 - Players have worn the armband for Dumbarton this year. At least three should be obvious. The other two however may present more of a challenge. Nope? Darren Barr and Andy Dowie have both worn it as first-team captain, with Mark Docherty taking it when Barr was forced off through injury against St Mirren in February. A month later Barr was forced off again against Ayr United, with Stuart Carswell taking over as captain in only his tenth appearance. The other lucky man was Craig Barr, who has taken it twice competitively in Dowie’s absence against Dundee United and Brechin City. 5 - Five players have been sent off for Dumbarton this year. In chronological order they were: Garry Fleming versus Ayr United (25/3/2017), final score AUFC 2-1 DFC Christian Nadé versus Annan Athletic (25/7/2017), final score DFC 0-0 AAFC Andy Dowie (SBO) versus Dunfermline Athletic (26/8/2017), final score DFC 0-4 DAFC Craig Barr (SBO) versus Dundee United (28/10/2017), final score DFC 0-2 DUFC Kyle Hutton versus (SBO) Livingston (26/12/2017), final score DFC 1-4 LFC There must be something about the end of the month that part-time players don’t like... 8 - Opponents have been sent-off meanwhile. With the full list below: Ross Docherty (Dumbarton 2-2 Ayr United) 18/2/2017 Adam Eckersley (SBO) (St Mirren 1-1 Dumbarton) 8/4/2017 Owen Moxon (SBO) (Dumbarton 0-0 Annan Athletic) 25/7/2017 George Horan (SBO) (Dumbarton 2-1 Connah’s Quay Nomads) 2/9/2017 Aron Lynas (Dumbarton 2-1 Brechin City) 16/9/2017 Gary Warren (SBO) (Dumbarton 2-1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle) 23/9/2017 Greig Spence (Dumbarton 2-0 Raith Rovers) 11/11/2017 Stelios Demetriou (St Mirren 0-1 Dumbarton) 2/12/2017 1.27 - The points per game average of Dumbarton’s 2017. Obviously this includes cup games and friendlies, however it’s testament to the improval that coincided with the arrival of Ian Durrant as Stevie Aitken’s assistant. Last year I commented that our average of 0.98 a game would have to rise - however even I didn’t expect such a sharp increase. And finally… 525 - If Grant Gallagher is able to return from injury at the earliest possible projected date* (March 3rd against Morton at Cappielow) it’ll be his first competitive appearance for the Sons in 525 days. His last came in a 3-2 defeat to Gary Locke’s Raith Rovers back in September 2016. *Based on a Tweet from earlier this year. All the best for 2018 to everyone reading this, and thanks for having a wee look. Don’t forget you can read my views in the Lennox Herald every week (you damned lucky people), and then hold me to them when they come back to haunt me. Don’t worry, you wouldn't be the first to do that.
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April 2020
CategoriesAuthorI'm Fraser, 22, Sons fan who is now living the dream of reporting on Dumbarton for the Lennox Herald. |