Campbell furious at referee’s decision

ARBROATH 1 STIRLING ALBION 1

Arbroath edged one point closer to league leaders Forfar with this result but boss Dick Campbell was furious his side didn’t get a late penalty when Omar Kader was taken down in the box just as he was about to shoot into an empty goal.

The Gayfield gaffer said: “I think it’s a blatant penalty kick. Why would he go down when he was about to roll the ball into the net?

“In fairness to the referee, he has explained to me that the defender got to it. But that’s three times in three weeks that we’ve had critical decisions at critical times going against us.”

Campbell acknowledged, however, that it was a failure to convert chances, particularly in the opening period, that cost the Lichties dearly.

He said: “We had five chances in the first half to put the game to bed but we didn’t take them.

“If we had, it would have been dead and buried.

“But the quality let us down in the forward third. Ironically we’ve made up a point on Forfar but I’m disappointed that, once again, we haven’t won at home.”

Arbroath enjoyed the bulk of possession in the early stages, Bobby Linn testing Chris Smith with an early shot the keeper comfortably handled .

David Gold then scampered down the right and sent a ferocious ball across the face of the goal but there were no takers.

Shortly afterward Linn curled another effort over the bar.

The Lichties continued to press and a Steven Doris shot was saved by Smith before Mark Whatley set up Kader whose point-blank volley was blocked on the line by Ross McGeachie.

Another Doris shot was deflected on to the bar and in the melee that followed, Kader and Bryan Prunty were denied by a combination of brave goalkeeping and stout defending.

Just before the interval another inventive effort from Linn clipped the top of the bar.

Stirling made a positive start to the second half and stunned the home side in the 58th minute when Darren Smith cut in from the right and fired high into the far corner of the net.

The goal rocked Arbroath but they hit back to draw level six minutes later, Kader feeding Doris who steered the ball low beyond Smith.

Kader looked sure to blast home the winner with five minutes to go but went down under the heavy challenge which referee Ryan Milne controversially saw nothing wrong with.