DUMBARTON lost 4-3 to Dunfermline on the opening day of the Scottish Championship season last Saturday.

Despite taking an early lead through Robert Thomson and producing a spirited injury-time comeback, courtesy of two late Mark Docherty penalties, Stevie Aitken’s men left East End Park empty handed.

The visitors could not contain an in-form Joe Cardle, who hit a clinical hat-trick.

David Hopkirk then hopped off the bench to make it 4-1 before the Sons’ late rally.

Dunfermline showed their attacking intent right from the off when Gavin Reilly got on the end of Lewis Martin’s searching ball forward and sent a half-volley just wide.

Eager to prove they can compete in the Championship, last season’s League One winners started the game the better of the two sides with midfielders Rhys McCabe and Kallum Higginbotham helping the Pars to dictate the opening proceedings.

The hosts’ pressure almost paid off when Ryan Stevenson brought Higginbotham down inside the box with a clumsy challenge after 13 minutes. Referee Barry Cook instantly pointed to the spot but Michael Moffat’s penalty kick smacked the upright.

After breathing a massive sigh of relief, Dumbarton hit back through Josh Todd whose rasping effort went narrowly wide.

Much to the surprise of the Dunfermline fans, it was the visitors who took the lead.

Pars keeper David Hutton could only parry Stevenson’s driven free-kick into the path of Thomson who nodded in the rebound.

Dunfermline fashioned a near-instant response when Moffat’s cross picked out Reilly, however, his bullet header was clawed away by Sons’ new keeper Alan Martin.

But the Fife side were back on level terms on the 24th minute when Cardle found space inside the box to fire a low shot into the bottom corner.

The 29-year-old got his name on the scoresheet for a second time just two minutes later to give Dunfermline a deserved lead.

Having failed to deal with a low delivery, the Dumbarton defence looked on as the ball landed kindly for Cardle, who wriggled free from a clutch of bodies to rifle his shot beyond the helpless Martin.

The half-time whistle came as a welcome breather for the Sons, who were left dazed by Cardle’s quick-fire double.

Dumbarton emerged from the interval with a greater sense of purpose as Andy Stirling sped down the left and fizzed in an inviting cross that Hutton did well to hang onto.

However, their positive start was almost undone three minutes into the second period when captain Gregor Buchanan went dangerously close to volleying into his own net.

Reilly almost scored a third when he connected with Martin’s curling ball into the box, but goalkeeping namesake Alan demonstrated sharp reflexes to keep Dumbarton in the match.

Cardle confirmed he would be taking the match ball home after 67 minutes when he calmly slotted in a right-footed finish.

Frazer Wright’s lapse of concentration gifted possession to Moffat, who picked out his strike partner and Cardle had ample time to seal his hat-trick.

Another defensive error handed the home side their fourth goal with 10 minutes remaining.

Substitute Mark Docherty had only just entered the fray when he lost the ball to David Hopkirk inside his own area.

The Dunfermline substitute then broke free and unleashed a powerful shot high into the net.

Docherty gave Dumbarton a glimmer of hope with a late injury-time penalty after David Smith was upended in the area by substitute Michael Paton.

Dumbarton grabbed a third just minutes later as Pars’ last man Lee Ashcroft saw red for wrestling Thomson to the ground in the fourth minute of added time.

Again, Docherty thumped home from 12 yards but it proved too little too late for the Sons.

Dunfermline: Hutton, Williamson, L Martin, Ashcroft, Everton, Geggan, McCabe, Reilly (McMullan), Moffat (Hopkirk), Higginbotham (Paton), Cardle Substitutes: Gill, Wedderburn, Paton, McMullan, Spence, Hopkirk, Fordyce DUMBARTON: A Martin, Pettigrew, Thomson, Buchanan, Stevenson (McCallum), Todd, Thompson, Harvie, Smith, Wright (Docherty), Stirling Substitutes: Barclay, Docherty, Barr, McCallum, Clark, Kassarate