DUMBARTON manager Stevie Aitken has backed Christian Nade to fire the goals which will ensure Sons’ Championship survival.

The French striker has impressed since joining the club in January and netted a hat-trick in last Tuesday’s crucial 3-1 win over Alloa.

Another goal against Hibs helped Dumbarton to a shock 3-2 win. With Sons now five points clear of Livingston, who occupy the relegation play-off spot, a few more wins will be required to keep them safe and Aitken is adamant Nade can net the goals which can make that a reality.

He said: “That was why we brought him in, we chased him in the summer because we knew what he could bring. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get him then but we were delighted to get him in January. It took weeks and weeks of talks and convincing. He’s been great since he came in, I thought against Hibs he was terrific.

“Against Alloa, the way he took his goals was first class. The first was a predator’s goal, the second was a great header and it was a great finish for the third.”

At the other end of the pitch, Aitken has shown faith in goalkeeper Jamie Ewings of late. The long serving goalkeeper has played second fiddle to Mark Brown for most the season but now appears to be Aitken’s first choice.

Ewings was given his chance away at Raith Rovers in January when Brown was out with a virus, since then former Inverness Caley Thistle and Ross County keeper Brown has only been back in the team for the defeats at St Mirren and Dundee.

Aitken admits he will not be afraid to adopt the same type of squad rotation policy to his goalkeepers as applies to his outfield players.

He said: “We signed Mark as a number one. Mark has been great and done really well in a lot of games, maybe some games he hasn’t done as well as he would’ve liked.

“What Jamie has now proven is that he can play week in, week out. He had a terrific spell and then we brought Mark back in, now Jamie is back in team.

“It keeps everyone on their toes, you do it with outfield players and there’s sometimes no reason why you can’t do it with goalkeepers.

“The two of them will fight it out from now until the end of the season and we’re fortunate that we have two goalkeepers who can come in and play.”

Despite Sons being locked in a battle with Livingston to avoid the relegation play-off, a battle they look favourites to win with a five-point cushion. Aitken insists his team’s achievements this season are more fairly judged against the only other part-time team in the league, bottom-side Alloa.

He added: “I’ve always said that Dumbarton should be judged against Alloa as the only two part-time teams in the league. I think the fact we are 15 points clear of them with a game in hand shows how well we have done this year.

“To judge us against the likes of St Mirren, Raith Rovers and Queen of the South isn’t really fair, they have bigger budgets and train with the players every day.

“But we’re in there competing with them which is great. We’ll take each game as it comes, we’ll need to win some more games that is for sure.”