Dumbarton FC's Stevie Murray hopes for double celebration

Apr 17 2009 by Andy Galloway, Lennox Herald (main ed)

STEVIE Murray hopes for a double celebration on Saturday - by going top of the third division with Dumbarton on his birthday.

The midfielder turns 26 on Saturday and is desperate for three points at Cowdenbeath as a birthday present.

If Sons beat Cowden they will go top of the league for the first time this season, with a two-point lead.

And Stevie reckons that having a full week to prepare will stand him and his teammates in good stead for the crunch clash.

He said: “It would definitely be up there with my best birthdays if we went top but, first and foremost, we need to think about getting the win.

“We are going into the game as the form team, having won four consecutive games 2-0. Confidence is high and we are grinding out results, which is a good sign.

“So there is no reason why we cannot go to Central Park on Saturday and come away with the three points.

“We should have beaten Cowdenbeath at home in February, and we did win against them in September, so we know we can do it.

“It is definitely good for us to have a full week to prepare. We have had quite a few midweek games recently but apart from training, we can relax this week and get ready for the game.”

At least four supporters’ buses are set to travel to Central Park, and Stevie is calling on the fans to keep up the good work.

He added: “It was a good result at home again. Apart from the recent Annan game, and against Stenhousemuir in August, we have made the Strathclyde Homes Stadium a fortress.

“I thought we could have scored a few more goals after Berwick went down to 10 men. We maybe took our foot off the gas a bit, but we still worked hard and deserved to win.

“It is great news that so many supporters will be travelling. We are looking for as much backing as we can get.

“It really is amazing what supporters can do for you – it is like having a 12th man. Our fans have been great all season.

“Even up at Forfar last Tuesday there must have been about 100 travelling, even though it was over 100 miles from home.”