ARBROATH ENJOY TITLE PARTY
ARBROATH will return to the second tier of Scottish football for the first time in 16 years after an Angus derby point gave them an unassailable lead at the top of League One.
Delighted Red Lichties boss Dick Campbell said: ‘It’s been a long time coming and we’ve deserved it. We’ve been top of the league all season.
‘I’m looking forward to next season but I’m also looking forward to next week against Raith Rovers.
‘I want to stay up next season. We’ll not play this one-up-top defensive football that you see. If we go down, we’ll go down fighting.’
The visitors knew a point would be sufficient to clinch the title and they took just five minutes to take a huge stride towards that target when Ryan Wallace headed in his 11th of the season.
Brechin, battling to beat the drop, rallied and levelled through a slightly fortuitous strike from Michael Miller that trundled agonisingly past Darren Jamieson in the Arbroath goal.
The Gayfield side piled on the pressure as they attempted to claim the title in style and both Thomas O’Brien and David Gold had goal-bound strikes deflected wide in quick succession.
But the draw proved enough and Campbell (right) added: ‘Maybe, over the piece of the game, we had the better chances and deserved a result.
‘I’m glad it finished 1-1 because I didn’t want Brechin to lose.’
Meanwhile, despite their point, Brechin remain embroiled in a relegation battle and boss Barry Smith declared: ‘We thought the boys responded very well after losing an early goal and put in a good performance.
‘Obviously that performance gets taken away because Arbroath have, quite rightly, won the league.
‘If we play that way, with commitment and endeavour, then we’ll give ourselves a chance.’