Everyone at the LIME Stadium is pulling together in a bid to ensure Stranraer reach the promotion play-offs.
It has been five seasons since the Blues saw their campaign extended by the prospect of moving up a division.
On that occasion, a Jamie Wilson goal was all that separated Stranraer and Dumbarton.
The Sons make the trip down the A77 on Saturday as Chris Aitken’s men aim to fight their way back into the top four.
One member of the squad who is hoping they can do just that is Ewan Henderson.
The goalkeeper said: “I think reaching the play-offs would be massive for the club.
“Obviously, it is very well supported.
“I did not know too much about the club before I came here but even the people involved in the club, you can tell how much it means to them, how much it means to the supporters, how much it means to the committee and it means a lot to the players as well to try to get there.
“We are trying our very best to get there and that’s all you can really do.”
Henderson, who featured twice for Stranraer earlier this campaign against Motherwell B and St Mirren B, rejoined the Blues before last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Annan Athletic.
The 21-year-old had moved out on loan to West of Scotland Football League Premier Division side Rutherglen Glencairn.
The shotstopper clocked up almost a dozen appearances at The Glens, while feeding back to Stranraer’s goalkeeping coach Jim Low on his progress.
Henderson said: “I loved it.
“It is a great club and the committee are really hands on and nice.
“I just enjoyed playing, it was obviously a wee while since I played football week in week out.”
Now, after being recalled to provide competition to Lyndon Tas in the absence of the injured Max Currie, Henderson is looking forward to the last few games of the league season.
Dumbarton visit the LIME Stadium knowing that results could see them mathematically safe from the prospect of finishing bottom of League Two while also keeping alive their own play-off bid.
Henderson said: “I am definitely more confident than what I was before I went away.
“I think that is because I have played that amount of games that quickly that I have got back up to speed a wee bit.
“I think it has definitely helped in that sense if I was needed to step in.”
Last meeting
First half goals from Mark Durnan and Scott Honeyman helped Dumbarton to three valuable points.
Former Blue Durnan rose highest to nod home from an Alex Smith corner with not even two minutes on the clock.
The Blues could have been level when Dean Cleland fired towards goal but Aidan Rice got across his line to make the block.
Max Currie was then unable to keep hold of Smith’s low drive and Honeyman had the simple task of tapping home.
Before half time, Rice again came to Dumbarton’s rescue when he stretched to keep out Aaron Quigg’s goalbound header. The goalkeeper denied Deryn Lang after the break before Lewis Reid was also kept out.
Dumbarton: Rice, Omar, Webster, Durnan, Walker (Kirkpatrick 67), Todd (Joseph 88), Livingstone, Honeyman (Roy 78), Smith (Duncan 88), Tomlinson (Doyle 66), McIntosh.
Not used: Blair, Wallace, Brown and Long.
Stranraer: Currie, Ecrepont, Reid, McGrath, Docherty (McKnight 76), Quigg (Hunter 76), Hughes (Dolan 61), McManus, Gillies (Plank 61), Lang (Turay 68), Cleland.
Not used: Coll, O’Donnell and Tas.
Last five meetings
- Dumbarton 2 Stranraer 0 (Durnan and Honeyman) at Dumbarton Football Stadium on March 10, 2026
- Stranraer 1 Dumbarton 1 (Russell; Kirkpatrick) at the LIME Stadium on December 20, 2025
- Dumbarton 1 Stranraer 2 (Durnan; Russell and Dolan) at Dumbarton Football Stadium on September 27, 2025
- Stranraer 0 Dumbarton 0 at the LIME Stadium on April 20, 2024
- Stranraer 5 Dumbarton 0 (Own goal, Grant, Forrest, Armour and Lang) at LIME Stadium on March 5, 2024
Last five games
Stranraer
- LOSS v Annan Athletic (A): 1-0
- WIN v Clyde (H): 3-1 (Reid, Dunne and Lang)
- LOSS v Clyde (A): 2-1 (Hughes)
- WIN v East Kilbride (H): 2-1 (Gillies and Reid)
- LOSS v Dumbarton (A): 2-0
Dumbarton
- DRAW v Forfar Athletic (H): 2-2 (McIntosh and Honeyman)
- WIN v Annan Athletic (H): 2-1 (Honeyman and McIntosh)
- DRAW v Elgin City (A): 1-1 (McIntosh)
- WIN v Stranraer (H): 2-0 (Durnan and Honeyman)
- WIN v Spartans (H): 3-0 (Walker, McIntosh and Honeyman)
Last time out
Stranraer
Lineup v Annan Athletic: Tas, Ecrepont, Reid, McGrath, Dunne, Stuart (McManus 61), Quigg, Plank, Gillies (Hughes 70), Dolan (Hunter 70), Turay (Lynch 81).
Not used: Docherty, McKnight and Henderson.
Dumbarton
Lineup v Forfar Athletic: Rice, Webster, Durnan, Walker, Todd, Livingston, Honeyman, Doyle, Tomlinson, McIntosh, Kirkpatrick (Duncan 46).
Not used: Joseph, Marshall, Wallace, Brown, Gilfedder, Roy and Long.
Five facts
- Dumbarton are unbeaten in their last seven games. The last time they managed eight games without defeat was from October to December 2022. Then, they went 10 games without tasting defeat, including a 2-0 win against Stranraer. Edin Lynch was an unused substitute that day.
- A Craig Malcolm goal gave Stranraer all three points the last time they played on April 4. That was in 2015 against Ayr United. The Stranraer team featured current manager, Chris Aitken, this week’s opposition manager, Frank McKeown, and last week’s opposition manager, Willie Gibson.
- Former Stranraer goalkeeper David Mitchell will celebrate his 36th birthday on Saturday. The shotstopper made 241 appearances for the Blues before moving on to Dundee. He is not the only ex-Stranraer player celebrating a birthday on Saturday. Sam McCloskey, who made 26 appearances, celebrates his 31st birthday.
- If Finn Ecrepont makes an appearance on Saturday, he will move into the outright lead in the current squad for most appearances in a Stranraer shirt. Currently, he is tied on 101 with Max Currie.
- A number of players have pulled on both a Stranraer and a Dumbarton shirt. One of those to have featured for both – but only as a substitute – was Amadou Kassarate. The frontman scored twice for Stranraer in 2017, including the winner on the last day of the season against East Fife. The Stranraer team that day was: Belford, Robertson, Barron, Bell, Neill, Dick (McGowan 89), Agnew, Donald (Wilson 72), Thomson, Gibson, Malcolm (Kassarate 82). Not used: Morena, McGuigan, Kemp and Currie.
Admission
Admission at the LIME Stadium is ‘pay at the gate’ only. Season tickets are valid for Saturday’s game.
Away fans can enter the ground from the away turnstile opposite the main stand. This turnstile is cash only.
The following pricing applies:
- Adult – £15
- Concession (over 65) – £10
- Youth (5 to 16) – £5
- Under 5 – FREE
Merchandise
We’re stocked with all three 2025/26 kits, exclusive Adidas teamwear, hats, scarves, umbrellas, warm layers, pin badges, key rings, stickers and much more.
Cash and card payments are accepted.
You can also purchase a range of merchandise online.
Podcast
In the latest episode of club podcast Look Blues Talking, we were delighted to be joined by Sons head of media and Terrace Podcast regular Fraser Clarke.
Fraser gives us the lowdown on all things Dumbarton, and we look back on last weekend’s meeting with Annan Athletic.
Coverage
If you can’t make it to the LIME Stadium, you can follow our live matchday updates on X (formerly Twitter).
The manager’s post-match reaction will be available on YouTube following the game.
Club 1870 subscribers get a first look at the goals on Saturday night, along with full match footage the next day.
Extended highlights will be available via YouTube on Sunday, with Cameron Ritchie joining Brian Martin on commentary.
Photos: Bill McCandlish, Colin Poultney (Collarge Images)
