DUMBARTON midfielder Grant Gallagher insists Sons can be this season’s surprise package in the Championship and mount a challenge for a play-off spot.

When Stevie Aitken took over at the Rock in the summer, Sons were tipped to be battling to avoid relegation with only one other part-time team in the division.

However, after defeating fancied promotion contenders Hibs and St Mirren in the opening two league games, Gallagher is convinced Dumbarton can continue their impressive start and challenge in the top half of the table come the end of the season.

He said: “A lot of the media focus on us at the start of the season was just about us staying in the league this season. But I think we could be a surprise package this season.

“Nowadays there isn’t a lot of difference between part-time and full-time teams. They maybe get one or two extra days but I don’t see any reason why a team like us can’t be up there come the end of the season.” Gallagher followed Aitken to Dumbarton from Stranraer in the summer after spending five years at Stair Park. He has impressed in Sons’ opening fixtures and Gallagher has admitted that he has had to raise his game to make the step up to the Championship.

He said: “No disrespect to the boys that I played with, they are good players in the league below. In some ways the higher you go the easier it becomes, the players around you are better so you can get longer on the ball and more time to think.

“It is a good jump to make and I’ve enjoyed it so far. When you play with better players you want to impress too. Guys like Steven Craig have played at a high level so you want to impress these guys and show that you’re maybe not just a Championship player, that you could go to the level they have been at.”