Dumbarton FC: Fans to return for Edinburgh City SPFL play-offs final

Fans are set to return to The Rock for the first time since March 3 last year as Sons open their doors for the second leg of the League One play-off final against Edinburgh City, in which Duffy’s men hold a 3-1 advantage.

With Dumbarton, and much of the country, moving into Level 2 of coronavirus restrictions on Monday, the club has been given permission to welcome supporters back.

Former Morton boss Duffy has been an advocate of fans attending matches in a safe manner for many months – and is delighted the day has finally come.

The 61-year-old said: “Regardless of the scoreline on Monday night, getting fans back in will be terrific.

“We’re all desperate for it. We saw the English FA Cup final, and it was an unbelievable atmosphere.

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“I’m amazed we haven’t had fans in before now, but I’m not in government so you respect the decisions.

“If we manage to have some fans in, of course that’s what football is about – and it’s up to us to try and make sure they’re not disappointed on the night.”

Capacity will be limited to 500 people at tonight’s match – but that includes club officials, media representatives and first aiders, meaning that only 300 Dumbarton fans will be able to see their team take to the pitch.

Sons are in the driving seat for tonight's second leg after a 3-1 win at Ainslie Park on Monday (Photo - Andy Scott)

Those in attendance will have to follow a strict list of guidelines, as outlined by the Scottish Government and Scottish Football Association, including allocated time slots to arrive at the ground, pre-arranged seating, and no refreshment facilities.

Fans will also be encouraged to follow the protocols of wearing face coverings, observing social distancing and making use of hand sanitising stations.

A club spokesperson said: “We are enormously looking forward to having our supporters back in the ground for Thursday’s decisive play-off final second leg at home to Edinburgh City, which kicks off at 7.35pm.

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“This will be the first time we have been able to have supporters in our stadium on a matchday for 443 days. It is a wait we will be delighted to end.”

Meanwhile, Duffy has warned his players that the job of securing their League One place for next season isn’t done yet.

Monday night’s first leg win at Ainslie Park appears to put Dumbarton well in control ahead of the second leg, which will be screened live on BBC Alba – but the former Morton manager isn’t taking anything for granted.

Three hundred Dumbarton fans will watch their favourites take on Edinburgh City in the second leg of the SPFL League Two play-off final - with Sons holding a 3-1 advantage after Monday’s first leg (Photo - Andy Scott)

Speaking after Monday’s first leg, he said: “In the first leg you want to be competitive and try and give yourself an opportunity for the second leg and that’s what we’ve done; given ourselves an opportunity by getting a positive result.

“You’ve got to make sure you’re totally switched on and give the same level of performance in the second leg as we did tonight.

“I felt we were a bit unfortunate to go in 1-0 at half time but nevertheless the players had a great response in the second-half.

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“We created several chances and scored the goals but had to work hard for them.

“It’s really important the players remain focussed and understand there’s still a very tough match ahead of us and we’ve got to show the same resilience and determination as they did tonight.”

Though he didn’t make it on to the score sheet, Ross Forbes played a vital role in all three of Dumbarton’s goals on Monday night – which brought him high praise from his manager.

Three hundred Dumbarton fans will watch their favourites take on Edinburgh City in the second leg of the SPFL League Two play-off final - with Sons holding a 3-1 advantage after Monday's first leg (Photo - Andy Scott)

Duffy, who had previously worked with Forbes at Morton, highlighted the importance of the 32-year-old to his side as he added: “He had shots at goal as well and other moments in the game.

“He’s a terrific player and we are lucky to have him and it’s always something that I thought about him.

“He deserved his Man of the Match award tonight but there was a lot of good performances and we had to work hard for the result and we’ll need to work every bit as hard on Thursday to make sure we get a similar result.”

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