DUMBARTON took a giant step towards safety with a 4-2 win over Queen of the South at the Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium on Tuesday night.

Sons led through Christian Nade before Iain Russell and Alex Harris turned the game Queens way. But second-half goals from Tom Walsh, Nade and a Garry Fleming penalty gave Dumbarton all three points and moved them five points clear of the relegation play-off spot with a game in hand over rivals Livingston.

Dumbarton manager Stevie Aitken made two changes to the side which lost 1-0 to Rangers at Ibrox. Calum Waters and Scott Taggart were replaced by the more attacking options for wide midfield of Tom Walsh and Kevin Cawley.

Sons had the ball in the net after two minutes when a Mark Docherty corner looped to the back post. With a sea of bodies going for the ball, it was bundled over the line but referee Finnie blew for a foul to the away side, Dumbarton would only have to wait seconds for the breakthrough though.

A terrible kick out from Robbie Thomson landed straight at Nade's feet. The big striker held off the challenge of Andy Dowie and clean through on goal made no mistake to side foot it into the corner.

The Doonhamers had started like a side counting down the days until the end of the season. After 15 minutes they started to waken up, Jamie Ewings had to be alert to get down and push away a Mark Millar free kick from the left which was dipping in at the near post.

Ewings earned his corn once gain seconds later. Russell was gifted the ball by some slack Sons play, the former Dumbarton forward slipped Dale Hilson through but Ewings was out smartly to block his effort.

The home side had the start they were dreaming of but it might've been so much better for the Sons. Midway through the first half Steven Saunders thundered into a challenge on Russell, taking the ball cleanly, it landed at Fleming but with a clear sight of goal his strike was tame and easily dealt with by Thomson.

That miss would prove costly as Queens were soon level. Kevin Cawley gave away a free kick on the Sons' right. Millar swung it in but the ball was only partially cleared, it dropped at the feet of Russell on the edge of the box and he fired a sweet half volley into the top corner, continuing his habit of haunting his old side.

Sons didn't react to the leveller and on the stroke of half time Queens were ahead. Alex Harris picked up a loose ball on the left, he cut inside with little in the way of a challenge from the Dumbarton defenders, on the edge of the box he skipped past Frazer Wright before drilling past Ewings.

Poor defending was a hallmark of the first half and the second started in the same vein, but this time it was to Sons' benefit. Dowie played a slack ball at the back which Tom Walsh intercepted. The on-loan Rangers man cut on to his left foot and sent a terrific strike into the top corner to level the match.

Moments later Dumbarton would turned the match on its head. Saunders won a corner on the right and from Docherty's delivery there was a few deflections before Nade headed in his second of the game.

Sons had really upped their game in the second half. Saunders, Walsh and Wright had efforts saved as Queens struggled to threaten at the other end.

Dumbarton were then gifted the chance to wrap up all three points. A Walsh corner was only partially cleared before Thomson bizarrely elected to punch rather than catch, it didn't get far and was crossed back in, Gregor Buchanan went for an overhead kick but went down under the challenge of Dowie with the referee pointed to the spot. It looked harsh but Garry Fleming didn't mind as he made no mistake from 12 yards.

Dumbarton: Ewings, Saunders, Buchanan, Wright, Docherty, Walsh, Routledge, Lindsay (Taggart, 80) Cawley (Gallagher, 64) Fleming, Nade (Heffernan, 76) Subs not used: Brown, Barr, Waters, McCallum.

Queen of the South: Thomson, Dowie, Brownlie, Higgins, Harris, Millar, Jacobs (Kidd, 75) Tapping (Murdoch, 83) Pickard, Hilson. Subs not used: Atkinson, Conroy, Moxon, Oliver, Smith.