Dumbarton boss Jim Duffy stressed that it wasn’t job done, as the Sons secured a first-leg advantage with a dominant showing against Edinburgh City.
Second-half goals from Ryan McGeever, Tomas Brindley and Morgyn Neill cancelled out Robbie McIntyre’s brilliant first-half strike to give the Sons the advantage heading into Thursday’s second-leg.
And manager Duffy said: “We could’ve done better. We could’ve not lost a goal.
“But in the first leg we wanted to be competitive and give yourself an opportunity in the second leg and that’s what we’ve done.
“We’ve given ourselves an opportunity.
“It’s not something we can switch off for. You’ve got to make sure you’re totally switched on for the second leg.
“It’s better going into the second leg than chasing it. Tonight Edinburgh worked extremely hard but we had to dig in and the players put in a great response to falling behind in the second-half.”
Manager Duffy made two changes to the side which had defeated Stranraer on Tuesday evening, with James Wallace and the injured Jaime Wilson dropping out for Ryan McGeever and Adam Frizzell.
A low key opening saw the hosts enjoy the majority of possession whilst the Sons posed the bigger threat in the final third.
Ross Forbes saw an early corner punched clear under pressure by Callum Antell, before neat interplay between Forbes, Robert Jones and Adam Frizzell saw the latter drag a right footed effort narrowly wide of the post with Antell rooted to the spot.
Forbes’ deflected 35 yard piledriver was then clawed away by City’s Welsh stopper, whilst Nick McAllister flashed a ball across goal with nobody in yellow and black in the right position to turn it into the net.
Forbes, who had been at the heart of everything for the Sons, then went on a mazy run before blazing his finish well over the bar as Jim Duffy’s side continued to build up the pressure.
As the half reached the final 10 minutes however Gary Naysmith’s men started to look a threat in the final third, with their sharp passing causing issues in the final third.
Only a brave Nick McAllister block denied Josh Campbell, before the same man nodded a free-header wide of goal from Craig Thomson’s corner.
However as the game reached half-time it was the visitors - with their first effort on target - who took the lead.
After Sons had failed to fully clear their area the ball broke to Robbie McIntyre 25 yards out, and he unleashed brilliant low effort that flew beyond Sam Ramsbottom and into the bottom corner to give the home side the half-time lead.
Dumbarton started the second-half keen to find a leveller, with Ross Forbes forcing Antell into an uncomfortable save following a clever passing move with Adam Frizzell and Nick McAllister.
Rico Quitongo then burst in on goal before driving over, before the Sons found a deserved leveller eight minutes into the second period.
Ross Forbes worked a short corner with Adam Frizzell before curling in a perfect delivery for Ryan McGeever to flick beyond Antell.
And 14 minutes later Dumbarton took the lead.
Again Forbes was the creator as his powerful drive from the edge of the area was parried by Antell, with Tomas Brindley first to react to squeeze in the rebound for his first senior goal.
Buoyed by the strike Brindley then tested Antell again with a stinging volley, before Sons sealed the victory with eight minutes remaining.
Forbes completed a hat-trick of assists as he delivered another inch-perfect free-kick which Morgyn Neill bulleted beyond Antell and into the net to give the Sons a potentially vital two goal cushion.
