After a long and proud stay in the Championship, part-time Dumbarton were finally relegated via the play-offs. The surprise was they were relegated to League 1 by another part-time team, Alloa Athletic. Only three wins in the second half of the season was never going to be enough to stave off a relegation fight and their lack of a goal-threat was obvious as they lost to Alloa.
Yet, the season began quite well for Dumbarton as they looked to defy the odds again. Only two defeats in their opening six matches proved they were going to be awkward opposition once again. Another bright spell in November also suggested they could finish outside the bottom two places in the Championship.
A most unexpected win at St Mirren proved only to be the start of their downfall. After that they went 10 games without a win as others around them picked up points. Dumbarton were destined to finish in 9th place and there was little they could do about it.
They sneaked past Arbroath in the play-off semi-final. A win at Alloa in the first leg of the final seemed to pave the way for more Championship football, but a late collapse saw Alloa triumph. The Sons had ran out of energy and didn't have the playing resources to refresh their team.
Dumbarton were guilty of an over-reliance on former full-time players who were never really fit enough for the rigours of a season in the Championship. The Sons lacked a genuine striker as they struggled to find the net in the second part of the season.
It's doubtful if Steve Aitken will want to remain in charge in League 1 as the Sons squad will be overhauled for a fresh challenge.
