DUMBARTON manager Stevie Farrell admits he was pleased with his side's performance on Saturday, despite being defeated by Lowland League side East Kilbride in the Premier Sports Cup.

The competitive campaign got underway with Sons welcoming Kilby to the Marbill Coaches Stadium in Group A of the competition with the two teams battling to a 1-1 draw before the visitors gained a bonus point thanks to a penalty shoot-out victory.

Jon Robertson’s deflected strike put East Kilbride into an early lead but Kalvin Orsi equalised for the hosts on 17 minutes.

There were chances for Dumbarton to win all three points but James Hilton and Michael Ruth were guilty of passing up opportunities from promising areas before missed penalties in the shoot-out from Tony Wallace and goalscorer Orsi resulted in Mick Kennedy’s side earning the bonus point.

Faz was impressed with his central defensive pairing of new signings Michael Miller and Cammy Clark in the absence of suspended skipper Mark Durnan – though insists the heart of his defence is still an area where he is hoping to add.

Speaking post match, he said: “I was pleased with the game, East Kilbride are a possession-based team and our goalkeeper has had two saves to make all game.

“We’ve had four or five brilliant chances so I was delighted with the way we played and the only thing I’m disappointed with is that we never took our chances.

“It was good to get minutes in the legs and into the structure that we are playing and I was delighted with a lot of the performances.

“I thought Michael Miller and Cammy Clark were excellent and showed all their experience and strolled it. They’ve been doing really well. They give good balance with the natural left and right side as well.

“I think Michael Miller has proved through pre-season that he’s such a good player, people forget where he played before dropping into the Lowland League – he was in the championship with Morton and Raith. He reads the game so well and is so composed.

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“Clarky is the same and will get better with games after missing a week or so of pre-season. He was really good defensively and played one or two passes he is capable of with that left foot of his.

“We just need that extra one centre-back, I’d like to have four to allow us to move to a back three if we want to do that throughout the course of the season.”

That’s not the only business that Farrell is keen to get done as he also hopes to add to his options in the final third.

Dumbarton were keen on pursuing a deal for ex-Huntly winger Robbie Foster who featured as a trialist in last week's friendly with Hebburn Town.

Foster had over 20 goal contributions for the Highland League side last season but it emerged that a fee would be required and Sons were forced to pull out of talks.

Faz also won’t be pursuing a deal for former Hurlford United forward Michael Mullen who played in all three of Dumbarton’s pre-season matches, finding the net twice.

One player that Sons fans should expect to see more of in the season ahead, however, is Panos Grivas from the clubs development side.

The forward signed for Dumbarton after a heads-up from former striker Christian Nade about his potential after working with him at Petershill and he impressed to earn a deal with the under-20’s.

He has quickly found himself in the first-team picture after impressing in training and was rewarded with minutes in friendlies against Glenafton and Hebburn.

Farrell hopes being involved with the first-team will bring the best out of the Greek – and opened the door to all of the clubs U20s to step up.

He explained: “Panos will be with us more often than not, we’ll look to bring in two more plus him to take us to 21 players for the season and we’re quite happy with that moving forward.

“It’s not just about playing games, it’s about training with the team and being in the environment and the match-day experience. He’s only 16 so he’ll benefit from all of that.

“The U20s will get an opportunity to train with the first-team and if they do well there there’s an opportunity they might get minutes with the first-team.”

Dumbarton face Queen of the South in match-day two of the Premier Sports Cup this evening before Airdrieonians visit G82 on Saturday.