Lichties ready for stormy affair against Doonhamers

Arbroath boss Dick Campbell reckons Queen of the South could face the perfect storm at Gayfield today.

With winds of 50mph forecast, the conditions will have a huge part to play as the Lichties aim for back-to-back wins.

But Campbell believes the conditioning of his players, who have enjoyed a break of two weeks without a game, will be just as tough for Queens to cope with.

“The gap came at the right time for us,” said Campbell.

“We’d played five games in two weeks up to our win over Dundee United, which is a very tight schedule for any side.

“I gave the players last weekend off and nobody could say they hadn’t earned it.

“They have come back raring to go, which I’m delighted about,” he said.

Storm Dennis is set to hit this afternoon, just one week after Storm Ciara wreaked havoc upon last week’s matches.

Gayfield’s exposed location makes it a uniquely vulnerable ground to weather interference.

But Campbell is confident his side are well-placed to deal with whatever comes their way.

“We’ll see some wind at Gayfield, which is no real surprise,” he said.

“That is going to be a factor, of course. But our players are used to dealing with it.

“We’ve won back-to-back games three times this season and it would be nice to make it four.

“Queen of the South will be looking to give an account of themselves, but I’m not too bothered about what they do – I’m only interested in my players.”

Meanwhile, the Red Lichties boss has backed former Celtic captain Jackie Mcnamara to make a full recovery from the brain bleed that left him fighting for his life.

Mcnamara underwent surgery last week after collapsing outside his home in York.

For Campbell, who was assistant manager to Bert Paton at Dunfermline when Jackie broke into the Pars side, his progress stands as proof of his strong character.

“Jackie is a fighter,” said Campbell. “Ever since he was a kid coming through at Dunfermline, he’s had a real battling spirit about him.

“He has already shown every ounce of it over the last few days – and I’m sure he’ll continue to do so on the road to what will hopefully be a full recovery.”

Staples? Storm Dennis may prove a test for Dick Campbell’s bunnet as well as for the players at Gayfield.