‘Arbroath’s Messi’ strikes in derby draw with Dundee
Arbroath manager Dick Campbell claimed that Barcelona star Lionel Messi would have been proud of the goal Bobby Linn scored to give his team the lead in yesterday’s Tayside derby, which was played in wet and windy conditions at Gayfield.
Kane Hemmings grabbed a second-half equaliser to earn the Dee a share of the points and bring and end to the Dens Park side’s miserable run of three defeats on the bounce.
But Campbell feels his men acquitted themselves extremely well and was full of praise for Linn and his battling team-mates.
He said:”we were magnificent. My goalkeeper never had a save to make in the first half and I am very happy.
“You can see the unity we have in the team.
“The fans got behind us because they can see what we are trying to do here.
“We were playing a full-time club and we deserve to be in this league.
“I knew Dundee would come back at us in the second half, and they did that.
“They got a good goal from their point of view but if we had won, no one could have denied we deserved it.
“Bobbly Linn’s goal was magnificent and Messi would have been happy with that.
“He’s 35 years of age but he is as enthusiastic as a 15-year-old.
“He was moaning about me taking him off but I’ve got to look after him.”
There’s no doubt Linn’s 34th-minute strike was out of the top drawer and it was no less than the Lichties deserved from an opening 45 minutes that they dominated.
They looked sharp as they carved out a number of good opportunities, Colin Hamilton twice testing his brother Jack in the Dundee goal, first with a looping header followed by a 30-yard drive, both of which the keeper dealt with comfortably.
The deadlock was broken, however, when Scott Stewart laid the ball into the path of Linn on the edge of the box and the Arbroath winger cut in before calmly delivering a curling shot that flew beyond Hamilton and into the far corner of the net.
The visitors stepped up the pace after the break and, with the elements behind them, forced Arbroath on to the back foot.
They pulled level just after the hour when Cammy Kerr floated a cross into the box which Hemmings pounced on to head beyond Derek Gaston.
Danny Johnson had a couple of chances to seal it for Dundee but Linn missed the best opportunity of all when he blasted over the top when it seemed he must score.
The result left Dundee boss James Mcpake frustrated. He said: “On the basis of second-half chances we deserved more.
“No one could have moaned if we had won.
“But if there’s any positives it’s that we didn’t crumble and showed some character to get back in to the game after being 1-0 down at half time and having lost our previous three games.
“We showed some heart, but it’s not enough. I know that.”