Match Report

MATCH REPORT
Arbroath v Stenhousemuir at Gayfield, Arbroath on 9.3.19
SPFL Ladbrokes League One Att 719
Arbroath 0 Stenhousemuir 2 [Marsh 45+3, McGuigan 56]

Arbroath – Jamieson, Thomson, Hamilton, Little, O’Brien, Whatley, Denholm, Donnelly [Wallace 63], Doris [Spence 64], Swankie [b90] and Linn [McCord 72]. Subs not used – Kader, Gold and Hill

Stenhousemuir – Smith, Reid, Neill [so 90], Marsh [b77], Gibbons [Dickson 69], McGuigan, Cook, Halleran, Munro, McBrearty [Ferry 22] and Hurst[Watters 82]. Subs not used – McMinn and Donaldson

Referee – Mike Roncone Assistants – Jordan Stokoe and Alex Shepherd

The Warriors travelled to Gayfield without the two players dismissed the previous week but were boosted by the return of Morgyn Neill who had been absent for several weeks through injury. Nevertheless the league leaders were strong favourites on paper to win this game despite them misfiring at Dumbarton the previous week.

Luckily football is not played on paper but in real flesh and blood and Stenhousemuir showed their fighting spirit to shock everyone with a thoroughly merited victory. The visitors were sprightly in the opening stages of the game putting some nice passing moves together in difficult conditions with the wind blowing as usual at Gayfield. Despite the promising start it was the league leaders who looked to have a more clinical edge to their game and Graeme Smith was the first keeper tested when he had to save a Mark Whatley effort. The Red Lichties then saw a Gavin Swankie effort deflected wide and another effort struck the crossbar.

Midway through the half Stenhousemuir suffered a blow when Connor McBrearty had to leave the field with a cut on the eyelid and he was replaced by Mark Ferry who had been rested as he had a slight injury that was being closely monitored.

In the 36th minute the home side were awarded a penalty when Danny Denholm and Alan Reid collided in the box with the Warrior being slightly late with the challenge in which not only did he concede the penalty but also received a head knock that required lengthy treatment. The normally reliable Bobby Linn stepped up to take the spot kick but on this occasion he blasted the ball over the bar.

As the half went into added time a Greg Hurst strike was pushed out by Darren Jamieson. From the Alan Cook corner though the keeper made a complete hash of dealing with the cross and only succeeded in pushing the ball off David Marsh and into the net to put Stenhousemuir ahead with virtually the last touch of the half.

The second period started with promise once again and Hurst had another effort saved in the 50th minute. In the 56th minute the Warriors scored their second when a Cook pass picked out Mark McGuigan and he had time to pick his spot and beat the advancing keeper as he stroked the ball into the net.

Despite Dick Campbell making a double substitution to change the match the visitors remained relatively comfortable as the game progressed and indeed Graeme Smith did not have a save to make for the rest of the game.

In the last minute of the game Swankie was cautioned for a foul on Smith and Neill was dismissed after he reacted to shouts from a group of Arbroath supporters which was excessive in their nature. His dismissal was a sour finish to the game which should be remembered more for the Stenhousemur performance rather than that one action at the end of the game. His dismissal though alongside the injury to McBrearty meant that their was going to have to be a reshuffling of the team for the forthcoming fixture against East Fife.