Jim Duffy was left deflated by “as freakish a goal he’s seen” as Dumbarton’s return to League One action ended in defeat to Forfar Athletic.
Debutant keeper Sam Ramsbottom’s 57th minute clearance clattered off the back of defender McGeever and spun into the net - despite the best attempts of the Englishman to claw the ball to safety.
It was a painful moment for the former Morton man, who had only joined the club on Thursday - with the defeat seeing Sons dragged to within two points of the foot of the League One table.
And manager Jim Duffy felt that the result was harsh on his side - even if he admits they didn’t do enough to deserve three points.
He said: “It’s a horrible way to lose a game. I don’t think we deserved to win, but I also didn’t think that we deserved to lose the game on the balance of chances.
“We had about three good chances and Forfar had one where they hit the outside of the box towards the end of the first-half.
“There wasn’t a host of chances, which I didn’t expect.
“I wasn’t expecting a classic but I’m bitterly disappointed to lose the game in the manner in which we did. It was a very unfortunate error from Sam and he knows it.
“You can’t legislate from a moment like that. What can you say though, Sam’s made a mistake but it’s a freakish goal. It’s as freakish a goal as I can even remember at any level of football.
“You feel for him because it was his debut, but unfortunately that’s the life of a goalkeeper. There is no hiding place.”
Ramsbottom and loanee Tomas Brindley were both handed debuts by Duffy for the Sons first match since December 19.
In a clash between two sides who had struggled going forward all season, the first-half was typically cagey - with Ross Forbes’ dead ball delivery proving the main threat for the hosts.
His deep delivery was just missed by Jaime Wilson at the far post, before Morgyn Neill couldn’t quite turn Forbes’ inswinging corner beyond Loons’ keeper Mark McCallum.
Wilson then forced McCallum into a smart low stop with a fierce effort from inside the box, before Forfar’s Martin Scott clipped the post with an acrobatic effort from the edge of the area as the game ticked into first-half injury time.
In the second period chances remained at a premium, until a nightmare moment from Ramsbottom gifted the hosts the lead.
There looked little danger as the big keeper prepared to launch the ball upfield, but he failed to get any height in his clearance which rattled off Ryan McGeever and spun agonisingly out of his grasp and into the empty net.
Dumbarton almost hit back immediately as Tomas Brindley’s cross found Adam Frizzell on the edge of the box, but his effort trundled harmlessly wide.
Slick play from Ross Forbes and Stuart Carswell then played Sam Wardrop through one-on-one, but McCallum was out sharply to block him from inside the area.
The Sons continued in their quest to find a way beyond McCallum and looked destined to equalise with the final kick as former Loon Forbes jinked beyond a collection of challenges in the box, only to scoop his finish well over the bar from close range.
That proved the final opening as Sons’ long-waited 10th league match of the season ended with them failing to find the net for the sixth time.
