Match report

Arbroath recovered from conceding an early goal to beat Dumbarton at a very wet Marbill Coaches Stadium on Tuesday night.

Michael Ruth’s effort had the Lichties trailing, but goals either side of half time from Andy Winter and Ryan Dow secured a 2-1 win to send the league leaders and their noisy travelling support home happy.

Just two changes were made from the side that won 3-0 against Annan at the weekend, with both coming at centre half, as Tam O’Brien and Aaron Steele replaced Aaron Muirhead and Keith Watson.

It took just four minutes for the opening goal, and it went the way of the hosts, Ruth firing a free-kick home via the underside of the bar following a foul by O’Brien.

Arbroath thought they had an equaliser just minutes later when Dow stroked home Fraser Taylor’s pass, but he was denied by the linesman’s flag. Winter then went close with a low shot that was gathered by Milosz Sliwinski in the Dumbarton goal.

The action-packed opening to the game continued, with the Sons coming extremely close to making it two. Greig Young’s cross found its way to the back post where Kalvin Orsi’s deflected effort found Ruth, who saw his header come crashing off the bar, before Aron Lynas fired the rebound over.

A second goal wasn’t far in coming though, but it was Arbroath who would find it, with Winter nipping in to pick up a loose header from Michael Miller and stick the ball under the oncoming Sliwinski.

The Lichties began to up the ante as they looked for a quickfire second, with Winter sending a shot just past the post, before Dow went even closer, latching onto Scott Stewart’s knock on, only to be denied by Sliwinski.

Another chance would fall for the visitors just past the half hour mark, with Taylor connecting well with a ball from the right but sending his volley just beyond the far post.

Half time came with the scores still level, but it only took two minutes of the second half for that to change as Arbroath moved in front. Stewart saw his header cleared off the line and from the resultant corner, O’Brien’s knockdown was knocked further into the danger area by Jack Wilkie, with Dow getting his toe to the ball to squeeze it over the line.

Stewart would send an effort from distance just past the post, but Dumbarton weren’t out of the game and sent a reminder to the Lichties with a Carlo Pignatiello strike well blocked by Aidan McAdams.

Arbroath were made to defend by Dumbarton, but the hosts struggled to really create any clear-cut chances and were almost caught out at the other end, with Sliwinski parrying away a Dow free-kick.

The celebrations at full time showed just how important the result was as the Lichties provided some breathing room at the top of the table, ahead of Saturday’s trip to Alloa.