Stenhousemuir 2-4 Dumbarton - MacLean at the double in statement win for Sons

Four first-half goals saw Dumbarton hammer title rivals Stenhousemuir, with boss Stevie Farrell admitting his only disappointment was that his side hadn’t scored more.

A blistering first 45 minutes saw former Warriors’ captain Sean Crighton nod the Sons into an early lead, which was added to by Ross MacLean’s brace and Jinky Hilton’s first Dumbarton goal.

The Warriors improved in the second-half, with Matty Aitken’s brace - either side of an extremely harsh double booking for Carlo Pignatiello - restoring some pride for the hosts.

But boss Farrell felt that the result had been coming.

He said: “With the chances we were creating we knew it was all going to click one day. In the first-half it clicked, and four probably flattered Stenhousemuir. Because we missed one or two better chances.

“I like Ross MacLean as a forward, I think he’s a real threat to centre-backs with his movement. We purposely went with him and Jinky Hilton because we thought we could drag Stenhousemuir’s centre-backs about. We knew that good movement would hurt them.

“Every time we went up the pitch we looked a threat. The team have started the season well, that’s one defeat in eight. But nobody will get carried away.

“If someone had told me a few weeks ago that we’d beat Forfar, one of the favourites to win the league, and then come away to Stenhousemuir and take three points then I’d have taken it every day of the week.”

The hosts started the game on top, albeit without managing to test Brett Long.

And they were made to pay, as the Sons took the lead with their first meaningful attack of the game.

A clever short corner saw Greig Young find Jinky Hilton in space, and he clipped in a perfect delivery for former Stenny captain Sean Crighton to nod in his