Dumbarton beat Alloa Athletic in their Scottish Championship encounter after Garry Flening scored a 42nd-minute penalty this afternoon.

Kevin Cawley brought down Dylan Easton, for which he was booked, and striker Flening tucked home into the bottom left corner.

Scott Agnew almost opened the scoring for the hosts on nine minutes, firing over with his left foot from just outside the area.

The visitors then came close twice in a minute via Liam Buchanan, firstly through a 40-yard scorcher that was just clawed out of the top corner by Danny Rogers, and then firing across the face of goal from a tight angle.

Both sides made chances throughout a competitive first half, Philip Roberts firing wide for Alloa, before Scott Linton was well denied by Alloa goalie Craig McDowall, who also saved from Scott Taggart on 33 minutes.

Jonathan Tiffoney and Isaac Layne both had openings for Alloa, but Tiffoney's close-range effort was saved on the line, and Layne's 20-yarder flew millimetres over the top.

Alloa fall into the Scottish Championship relegation playoff zone, with Cowdenbeath holding Rangers at home, while Dumbarton go 12 points clear of Alloa in seventh place.