Elgin boss Gavin Price said his men fell into Dumbarton’s trap and slumped to their heaviest defeat of the season at the hands of the League Two leaders.
The Sons moved five points clear at the top with an all-too comfortable 4-0 win and Price felt his team made it too easy for the visitors.
“I didn’t see this coming but I can’t have any complaints about the result,” he said.
“The second half was unacceptable in terms of the performance and I’ve not seen anything like that from us in a while.
“We spoke about how easily we conceded the goals, and we didn’t seem to have the desire to keep going after we conceded the second goal.
“Dumbarton were excellent in their game plan to frustrate us and we kind of fell into their trap with the way we played.
“I’m happy to put it down to a bad day at the office but we will analyse exactly what went wrong and look to put it right.”
STARTING XI
Here's our team line-up to play Dumbarton this afternoon.
Come on the City! pic.twitter.com/Vi7RtJhLLy
— Elgin City F.C. (@ElginCityFC) November 12, 2022
City captain Ross Draper was booked for simulation when he was tackled in the Dumbarton box before half time and said: “Their boy has taken a part of the ball and a part of me so I didn’t expect a penalty but I did expect a corner.
“I spoke to the ref at half time and the phrase he used was exaggerated movement. I feel if that’s the case then you would be booking 15 boys every game.
“But it was an uncharacteristic performance from us. Dumbarton are well-drilled and once they got the first goal they made it very difficult for us.
“We had a couple of chances early on and they didn’t go for us, then we lost a sloppy goal and that proved to be huge.”
Illness kept Elgin keeper Daniel Hoban out with Tom McHale deputising, while Caley Thistle loan defender Lewis Nicolson was serving the second of a two-game ban following his red card at East Fife.
A superb seventh minute Elgin move almost carved out an opening goal.
Brian Cameron released Dylan Lawrence down the right with an excellent pass and the forward’s low cross was met by Kane Hester but former City keeper Brett Long blocked his effort and made a great save from Russell Dingwall’s follow-up.
The resulting corner saw Elgin defender Greig Young caught in possession and Dumbarton countered with a Kalvin Orsi run. He played it right to Aron Lynas who returned the compliment with a low cut back that Orsi sliced wide of goal from 12 yards.
Orsi was the architect of Dumbarton’s opening goal on 25 minutes, cutting across from the right and teeing up Ross MacLean for a low finish from ten yards.
📋 Your Sons Starting XI to take on @ElginCityFC this afternoon
🔄 David Wilson returns to the starting side, replacing the injured Finlay Gray
📲 Live match updates from 15:00 pic.twitter.com/dqONlro2Ug
— Dumbarton FC (@Dumbartonfc) November 12, 2022
Elgin had two penalty shouts turned down in the closing ten minutes of the half, Dingwall went down under a Stuart Carswell challenge while Ross Draper was yellow carded for simulation when he appeared to be tripped by Aron Lynas.
The Sons added a second goal seven minutes after the break when former Rangers and Aberdeen man Gregg Wylde burst down the left and evaded a couple of challenges to fire past McHale.
Elgin just weren’t at the races and conceded a third on 74 minutes.
Orsi again got down the right side and his low cross was deflected out as far as Lynas 22 yards from goal and he smashed a brilliant strike past McHale.
A demoralised City conceded again in the final minute as sub Ryan Wallace was given space to net a 20-yard grounder.
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