Smoking Smokies

 

The form team of 2021 entertain their table topping rivals Inverness Caledonian Thistle as we first foot Gayfield on Sunday 2nd January. This game is scheduled for a 3:00pm kick-off and is the proverbial six pointer, but there is no guarantee of anything in these eerie times given our last two games were called off for covid at home to Partick and then a waterlogged pitch at Dunfermline. The game can be streamed live from Arbroath TV

RAITH ROVERS MATCH INFO

Have a good New Year when it comesFrom CTO editorial

Arbroath took full advantage in the one game they played with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Dunfermline on Boxing day to put the part-timers top of the league on their own. Part-timers they may be, but they are a well drilled unit with a shrewd manager at the helm in Dick Campbell and you have to give them full credit for what they have achieved so far this season. The team is littered with quality players and in Michael McKenna they have a proven reliable goal scorer who would not look out of place in the Premiership. He scored his 12th goal of the season against the Pars and is the top scorer in the Championship.

Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts   1. Arbroath 19 10 7 2 33 14 37 2. Inverness CT 18 10 4 4 26 14 34 3. Kilmarnock 19 10 3 6 24 14 33 4. Raith Rovers 19 9 6 4 27 19 33 5. Partick Thistle 18 9 4 5 30 16 31 6. Hamilton Ac. 19 5 5 9 19 34 20 7. Ayr United 19 4 6 9 18 32 18 8. Q.O.S. 18 4 5 9 19 26 17 9. Dunfermline 18 2 8 8 18 31 14 10. Morton 19 2 8 9 17 31 14

 

January 2nd scheduled fixtures all 3:00pm

Arbroath v Caley Jags

Partick -P- Morton

Queens v Accies

Raith v Pars

The spoils are even this term. We edged the first one at Gayfield when Shane Sutherland bustled his way towards the box before dinking a delightful finish behind Gaston. In the reverse fixture Arbroath returned the favour after we lost our way and took the points in a 0-1 win. A second half goal from McKenna sufficient to win the game against a toothless Caley Jags back in October. CTO summary from that one: Inverness toiled to make any headway in a dour first half, the poor fare on display being matched only by the miserable weather. We improved in the final ten minutes before the interval but clear chances were at a premium. After the break and some initial half chances for the hosts, McKenna scored with a cross/shot free kick that caught out the keeper, possibly wind assisted. Inverness still struggled to create clear openings, an all too familiar habit of late. They could have doubled their lead soon after but Ridgers was in the right place to put Little's header over the bar. Thereafter we ruined what little chances we had by a lack of quality around the box and stout defending by Arbroath. Well done to them, they did what they had to do, we need to take a long hard look at how we are going about our business.

Last Time Out

Inverness slumped to defeat as Accies won 2-1 in the Highlands before Xmas. This was the second defeat to Accies this season who have been struggling but seem to be able to cancel us out and win, not always with eleven men. 

Arbroath pumped Dunfermline 3-0 at East End Park on Boxing Day. Goals from Breen (og), McKenna and a late one from Dowds sealed Pars fate.

Latest Team News

Who knows what's happening after the covid intervention. On the plus side, our injury situation should not be any worse given that we have not played since the 2-1 defeat to Accies on the 18th December. More recovery time for our Captain, who appears to be made of rice paper, but if fit he can be influential on the park. Here's hoping.

Arbroath's Joel Nouble could be playing his final game before heading back to Livingston with rumours circulating that Jack Hamilton is a strong contender to go the opposite direction. The big bustling striker will be missed at Arbroath as he scares the sh!t out of defenders with his physical presence. Should Hamilton join Arbroath, then that will be a decent bit of business for the Smokies as well.

 

 

 

 

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We are struggling to keep the ball and getting hemmed in a lot as a result. We are trying to kill the game and waste time. Not a pleasant watch just now.

Then suddenly a great chance for Carson but it seemed to graze the post.

Edited January 2, 20223 yr by Robert

Jeez this is hard going. I’m not buying into this Dick Campbell love fest. It’s like watching Wimbledon in the 90s. 

Arbroath goal disallowed for offside.

As things stand I will take a point (but still hoping for three!). 

What do you expect with the usual gale force wind blowing off the North Sea. Do the yokel commentators know what an offside feckin is !!

Duku on for Mckay. 

Hyde on for Walsh.

A lucky escape a moment ago when Devine and Ridgers left the ball to each other and Arbroath came close. 

Official attendance 494. Where are the other 6? Are they the ball boys they told not to turn up?

Normal crowd for the Arbroathucs!    Pity we couldn't sneak 3 points..

0-0. Must admit that, with the conditions, I will take that given the pressure we were under in the second half.

I missed half the first half due to the livestream problems, but we needed to score when we had the wind advantage.

Raith drawing a bonus though. 

Edited January 2, 20223 yr by Robert

That was simply awful apart from winning a point. The Gayfield weather will win the home team more points this season. 

Disgusted at us time wasting from the start of the 2nd half...

Lack of ambition, and once again passing was poor.

Under the circumstances that's not a bad result. They will be far more disappointed than us, given the advantage they would have had if they had collected three points today. Keeps us well in the race.

unexpected bonus to see the game on Vimeo .... but it was not fun to watch. Enjoyed the commentators more than the game. Biased banter, but banter none the less .... 

Dire but at least we didn't lose.

Today's saving grace is the fact that Raith Rovers failed to win the Fife derby but we can't rely on others in the top five to continue to drop points.

Somehow or other, we need to find a way to win again and we undoubtedly need to strengthen in the window if the finances can be found.

I understand the conditions were the same for both sides and a point is not a bad result, but hoofing the ball high into the air in that wind was never going to work. No one knows how the full extent of COVID or lack of recent game time has affected the team, but having watched the game, we should have made more of the few chances we had. Carson had a typically robust game, but no other stand outs for me.

Dick's match summary:

 

"You would nae put a dug out in those conditions"

Well, I was able to take advantage of RIG sharing that link, but it wasn't a comfortable watch. I think we only created one half chance, for Carson, in the whole of the second half.  What happened to Doran?  He just seemed to be sitting on his backside sulking. Apparently, according to the commentary he had just had a rollicking from Dodds. He has always been injury prone but this season, with him not performing at any great level, I wonder if his time is nearly up with us.

Anyway, the other scores today did us no great harm fortunately, but we really must start stringing a few wins together soon.

Quite agree about the commentators. Prefer them to the BBC. Could have gone either way and you could argue the league leaders should be winning at home, so celebrate the point.

Yes, the part time league leaders will be rueing the missed chances, could've (should've) been 6 clear.

That was horrible. Second to every ball, inability to retain position, slack passing and no attacking threat. However, it was a depleted squad and we don’t know the extent to which the ones who played were fully fit after the Covid problems and presumably a lack of training recently. Happy to nick a point today.

2 minutes ago, Satan said:

Yes, the part time league leaders will be rueing the missed chances, could've (should've) been 6 clear.

However, they are not and we remain firmly in the mix.

If you had asked me at the start of the season whether I would be content with ending the first game of 2022 in second place just 3 points adrift I would have happily taken it.

All still to play for.

And a game in hand, which we must take advantage of by winning it!

Another key match next weekend against Raith. They seem to be stumbling a bit too, so time to continue the good run we have against them!

Pretty harsh comments from some members - we do not know the effect COVID and injuries have had on the club so this point is very important.  Next weeks game is where we must recover and perform.

Agree it was a tough watch however it was a good effort to come away with a point. Arbroath are well schooled at waiting for opposing keepers kicking into the wind and pushing back onto you when it drops; it was inviting pressure every Ridgers kick. Nouble is a handful and it will be interesting to see if him going back to Livi makes a difference to Arbroath. 

I'll take a point at Arbroath any day of the week. We'll done lad's. Happy New Year