The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Lichties trialists ‘must do better’
Arbroath boss Dick Campbell will continue to run the rule over trialists Ikechi Eze and Nick Dembele.
The pair have been training with the Lichties for the last week and played 45 minutes for the side in the 2-1 friendly win over Brechin on Saturday.
Eze, 26, is a free agent after leaving Maritsa Plovdiv in the Bulgarian second tier.
The midfielder comes from a footballing family, with brother Eberechi Eze a rising star at Crystal Palace.
Dembele, meanwhile, left Isthmian Premier League outfit Gosport Borough earlier in the summer.
The towering 25-year-old – who played up top alongside Dale Hilson – could provide the Gayfield side with an added attacking option.
Dembele looked a big unit up top.
He had a couple of efforts at goal and looked to show glimmers of quality, linking up with veteran Lichties winger Bobby Linn.
However, Campbell said the pair will have to show him a bit more of what they are capable of if they are to earn a deal with the Championship side.
“It’s very interesting for me,” he said. “We had two trialists but I think they could have done better. Or they will have to do better.
“They have got a few more days yet, but they have to do more than what they did today.”
The Lichties boss was full of praise for new forward Kieran Shanks.
The young striker caused all sorts of problems after replacing Dembele.
He worked his goal beautifully, opening up his body in a crowded penalty area to fire his shot into the top corner.
The former Aberdeen kid looks strong on the ball and has some pace about him. It’s still early days but he could be a real gem for Campbell’s side.
“I changed it round, putting five subs on at halftime,” the Lichties boss added.
“You saw the quality of the ones who came on. It was good to see Shanksy getting his first goal. He looks as if has got something about him. He’s been doing that in training.”
Meanwhile, Campbell joked that he had no complaints on the afternoon – other than the referee’s decision to allow Craig Levein to wear boots for their penalty shootout.
The former Scotland boss came out 2-1 winner in the half-time contest.
“I thought the referee was poor at the penalty kicks,” said a laughing Campbell. “I thought they gave him an advantage.
“You can’t play football with a pair of tackety boots. All he was doing was toepoking it.
“The class was in the Arbroath camp. It was a good thing and it was helping to bring in money for Brechin.”
Meanwhile, FC Edinburgh have been given the green light to host their homecoming Premier Sports Cup clash with the Lichties at Meadowbank Stadium next month.
The Edinburgh arena has been closed since 2017 for refurbishment and after repeated setbacks in the £47 million refit it is finally set to reopen next month.
A further delay means the facility is not now due to be unveiled to the public until July 19 – three days after Edinburgh are scheduled to take on the Gayfield side in their first home cup tie.
But, following talks with Edinburgh Leisure, the operators of the councilowned venue, the League One newcomers have been given the go-ahead to stage the match at the former Commonwealth Games stadium, with a restricted capacity of 499.