Dumbarton host Morton in the Championship this weekend and no doubt the Sons’ skipper Andy Graham and Greenock Manager Allan Moore will exchange a warm handshake and talk about a famous Stirling Albion goal.
The duo were together for several seasons at Forthbank and in season 2009/10 they were locked in a frantic battle for the Second Division title with Cowdenbeath and Alloa.
It was going the Blue Brazil’s way when they raced into a 3-0 nil half time lead however Albion clawed themselves back into things at Central Park with a double from Iain Russell.
Deep into injury time it looked like their fight back had been in vain and they would head into the final Saturday of the season away to Play-Off chasing Brechin 1 point ahead of Alloa and 2 ahead of a Cowdenbeath side, who were playing the Wasps, and had a better goal difference.
Just when everyone at the Fife ground was working out the various permutations Ross Forsyth sent over a free kick and Graham went in where it hurts against home goalkeeper David Hay and got his head to the ball before the shot-stopper cleaned him out. His effort crossed the line and Graham scored a goal he is not allowed to forget although he cannot remember it doing it.
Stirling got the point they needed to lift the Second Division title on goal difference from Alloa, who won 3-1 against the Blue Brazil, and Graham’s heroic header is still talked about.
The big defender said: “The goal gets mentioned every time I meet anyone from Stirling. It is great to be remembered for it but I just wish I could remember it. I was flat out and looking at the stars and everyone around me was going daft.”
“Everyone abandoned me as they went daft with their celebrations. We played Stranraer at the start of the season in the Scottish League Cup and they have Chris Aitken, Martin Grehan and David McKenna from that Stirling team all playing there.”
“They were all talking about that night and that goal but I don’t recall it at all. It’s the same with Allan as he will bring it up and talk about how he discovered me playing amateur football and I repaid him with that goal. It is a happy memory, well for everyone else that is.”
Stirling’s on and off team moved on quickly after that success with Graham saying: “Quite a lot has happened since that night, in fact I only played for Stirling one more time and Allan left for Morton shortly afterwards.”
“I moved on to Hamilton who were in the SPL at the time and I really enjoyed it even though it only lasted a season. I had always wanted to try full time football and bearing in mind I never came to the senior game until I was 21 I was delighted to 
get the opportunity.”
Graham featured in nearly 20 games for the Accies in his one season at New Douglas Park and he said: “I wish I could have played more but I can always say that I tested myself at that level. I joined Allan at Morton in 2011 and it was another year of full time football and of course Morton were the team I had supported as a kid.” “Pulling on the blue and white hoops of Morton is something that I will always be proud to say that I did. It only lasted a season and I don’t regret it ending I am just glad to have been able to do it in the first place.”
Graham’s bravery worked against him at the start of his Morton career as he explained: “I got off to a slow start as I fractured an eye socket in the Renfrewshire Cup Final against St. Mirren. That put me out for 8 weeks and it was probably Christmas time until I felt on top of my game.”
“Once I was fully fit I enjoyed playing for Morton however I had enjoyed working and playing football part-time so I was at a bit of a cross roads.”
The now 29-year-old said: “Morton made me an offer to remain so I had to make a decision as I was offered a full time job back in the field I used to work in before I went full time. I was offered the chance to work with teenage children in Livingston that are at a transitional point of their lives in terms of education. They perhaps have left the school education system without any great qualifications and I work with them at a college level.”
Graham opted for two careers again and faced an uncertain footballing future however it was resolved quickly as he explained: “As soon as it was known that I was going part-time Dumbarton got in touch and I agreed to join them. It is a move I have enjoyed although last season was a strange experience as it was definitely split into two halves one bad and one very good.”
“It reminded me of a run at Stirling when we opened the season with no wins in our first 11 games and only 3 draws. We won 9 out of the next ten and drew the other and avoided relegation. At Dumbarton last season we had a terrible start and only picked up 5 points by Christmas. The new manager Ian Murray came in and we beat Falkirk away from home just after Christmas.”
The Sons then headed across the Erskine Bridge and started 2013 with a bang as Graham explained: “We went to Cappielow and shocked everyone by beating Morton 3-0. They had just beaten Partick Thistle on Boxing Day to go top of the league and we were expected to be beaten. We took confidence from that win and then beat Thistle ourselves. My Morton supporting friends forgave me when we beat Thistle.”
“We then got wins over Airdrie and Hamilton Accies and went on a run that saw us avoid the Play-Offs which was fantastic. We would have taken that at Christmas. At one time it looked like we could catch Raith Rovers and Hamilton who had been miles ahead of us but we had to settle for seventh.”
Graham summed up last season by saying: “To reach safety with two games to go was a terrific achievement after the start we made.”
This season has had a more mixed start with Graham saying: “This season started disappointingly at Stranraer in the Ramsdens Cup but we beat Albion Rovers the following week and now meet Dundee United in the Scottish League Cup next week.”
“In the opening League game against Falkirk we played well and came back to get a draw and could have sneaked a win however losing 4-1 to Hamilton was a bad result. It is only 2 games into the season and there is a long, long way to go but we want to get winning as soon as possible.”
Wins will be essential as Graham explained; “It will be a really tight League this season. Morton have found that out as well as everything looked good for them when they beat Cowdenbeath 2-0 only to lose 3-1 to Falkirk last weekend.”
“It is difficult to predict anything as Dundee were tipped as pre-season title favourites and lost 4-3 to Queen of the South on the opening day. I reckon that it will be the tightest League in terms of points ever. I cannot see any club running away with it and any one club struggling at the other end.”
As for facing Morton and Moore, Graham said: “It is always great for me to play against Morton and the 3-0 win was probably the highlight of last season for me. It was a real boost to us and hopefully we can get something similar this time out.”
“I am sure my Stirling goal will be mentioned but I still won’t remember it.”
Craig Stewart
.png){kind=logo}
