For those about to Rock... hang on
Sons boss Stevie aims to put Gers title bubbly on ice
IF YOU’VE ever planned a wedding, you’ll probably know about the obligation to invite an unwelcome but necessary guest.
A third cousin you’ve never met on table 27 to placate your mother, for example.
Dumbarton could be forgiven for feeling a bit like that unwanted guest as they attend Ibrox this evening.
The vast majority of the 50,000-odd who will be in attendance are there to celebrate Rangers’ capture of the Championship title, and they won’t expect any serious impediment to their festivities from Stevie Aitken’s part-timers.
Like a drunken uncle who catches the bouquet and treads on the bride’s train though, it is the hope of Aitken that Dumbarton can be the biggest party poopers in Govan since Motherwell delayed the nine-in-arow celebrations with a win there back in 1997.
“I think when you go to Ibrox we all know it’s going to be difficult,” Aitken said.
“We all know they are going to win the league, but if we can delay the party then that’s what we’ll try to do.
“We’ll go there and try to be organised and make it difficult for Rangers. It will be a great atmosphere, so we’ll go and try to enjoy it as much as we can.
“It will be very difficult, not least of all because we’ll have boys at work tomorrow before they go to face Rangers at Ibrox.
“But we’ll go there and try to do the best we can. My focus has to be on Dumbarton. We’ve got a tough game and we’ve got to go and do the best we can to get a result for our club.
“The boys were terrific on Saturday at defending our box, and we know we will have to do that again. Every team that goes there will try to frustrate them and make it difficult for them, but at the same time you’ve got to be brave when you have the ball.
“If you just sit back, they’ll just keep coming at you. We’ll have to keep our concentration for the 90 minutes and see where that takes us.”
A defensive performance that was marked by a desire to protect their goal at all costs against Morton on Saturday has given Aitken hope ahead of tonight’s game.
IT WAS a much-needed fillip after the 6-0 humbling at Queen of the South in their previous match.
“All-round it was a better performance,” he said.
“We let ourselves down against Queen of the South, the players knew that, and I asked them to put a performance in on Saturday and they responded really well.
“It was a good solid performance against a good Morton side, and we defended well which was very pleasing.”
Aitken feels that his side perhaps don’t receive the credit they deserve as they try to compete in a division packed with full-time teams.
The only other part-time side in the Championship – Alloa – soon won’t be, as their relegation was confirmed on Saturday.
“It’s really tough for a parttime team in this division,” Aitken said.
“Alloa are a good team and Jack Ross is a good manager, but like us they’ve found it difficult against full-time clubs.
“We play 36 games a season, and 32against full-time teams.
“We’ve both found it tough, so credit to the boys for keeping us in touch.”