The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Dick Campbell’s ‘wee sing and dance’ as Lichties go 16 points clear at top
LEAGUE ONE: McGlynn concedes title race is over as Raith suffer defeat
RAITH ROVERS 0 ARBROATH 1
Raith Rovers opened a new singing section for their supporters, but it was Arbroath boss Dick Campbell who was having a song and dance after a 1-0 win that left his side within touching distance of the League One title.
The gleeful 65-year-old was in full voice in the away dressing-room at Stark’s Park as the Lichties opened up a 16 point gap at the top of the table thanks to Colin Hamilton’s first-half strike.
Midfielder Michael McKenna revealed: “The gaffer was having a wee sing and dance in the changing room.
“You’ve got to enjoy these moments because you’ll look back and remember days like these.”
Arbroath could now be just a few weeks away from being confirmed as champions and McKenna added: “It’s a great achievement to win any league.
“Playing in a league with a full-time side, maybe it’s more of an achievement, but we’ve got good players as well.
“Looking at our squad on paper you could say we should be up that end, but the manner in which we’re winning the league just now is pretty impressive.
“It’s the mixture of skill and team spirit. You need a bit of both to be doing what we’re doing, and we’ve maybe got more of the balance just now.”
The Arbroath manager spent the first half sitting among the away fans, and McKenna hailed the near 500 travelling support.
“There was a stage with 10 minutes to go when we heard them roaring for no reason,” he said.
“They maybe saw we were getting tired and that helped us.
“It takes a whole team effort – the fans and everyone involved with the club – to win a league.”
Raith winger Tony Dingwall, who had Raith’s best and only real effort on goal in the eighth minute, which was deflected over the bar, conceded that the league is effectively over.
“It was a must-win game if we had any chance of winning the league so we just have to go and win the next game and try to cement our place in the play-offs,” he said.
“We’re going to have to go up the hard way.”
Arbroath got the only goal in a game of few chances, with left-back Hamilton coolly slotting home from the edge of the box after Raith keeper Dean Lyness had parried an effort from Bobby Linn.
Lichties boss Campbell admitted that his team set up to frustrate Rovers.
“I thought tactically we were outstanding,” he said.
“I never play with one up front, but we didn’t have to win the game,” added the Gayfield gaffer.
“Raith played exactly the way we expected them to play, and we got it right.
“We need to lose six games for someone to catch us, and I hope it doesn’t happen.
“Until it’s arithmetically impossible, we will go about our job the right way.”
Rovers boss John McGlynn said: “The league wasn’t lost today. It was lost at places like Forfar and Brechin when we’ve been leading and lost the game.
“Sixteen points is massive but it changes nothing from the point of view we need to keep going to get into the play-offs and make sure we’re ready for them.”