‘Shocking’ challenge injures Hamilton and has Arbroath raging

REFEREE Alan Newlands was blasted by Arbroath assistant Ian Campbell after missing a tackle that saw midfielder Chris Hamilton carried off on a stretcher and leave the ground on crutches and likely to miss the crucial title run-in.

The big talking point was when Arbroath’s Hamilton, who was injured earlier, suffered another blow in 37 minutes with a late challenge by Kyle Turner which saw manager Dick Campbell vent his fury at the stand-side assistant and led to him being booked by referee Newlands.

After a lengthy stoppage, Hamilton was stretchered off to be replaced by David Gold.

Hamilton left the ground in crutches with a protective boot on his foot, while assistant boss Campbell said: ‘I thought it was a shocking tackle and for me it was a sending off without a shadow of a doubt. The ball got away from him and it was reckless.

‘I thought it was a decent game and we just edged it, although it is a good point. We could have won it at the end. It is testament to the whole club we are almost in the play-offs.’

Thistle created an opening in 19 minutes when Brian Graham controlled the ball in the box at the second attempt and turned sharply, but his low 12-yard drive was blocked on the line by Lichties captain Thomas O’Brien.

The Jags threatened again in 33 minutes when Ciaran McKenna raced in behind the Arbroath defence on the right and picked out Graham with his cross, but the striker’s downward header was well saved by goalkeeper Derek Gaston.

Two minutes from the break, Thistle came close again when Turner whipped in a curling freekick from the left, but Graham’s glancing header dipped just over.

Arbroath were pretty subdued in attack until 44 minutes when Gold, with his first touch of the ball, shot against the far post.

Two minutes into the second half another Turner free-kick was met by Graham’s head, but again was off target. Then Lewis Mayo was also off the mark with a header.

Gaston saved yet another Graham header in 61 minutes and seconds later blocked a Scott Tiffoney drive with his legs.

Jags head coach Ian McCall, who saw his side end a run of four successive defeats, said: ‘We had a lot of good chances. Three players who played today hadn’t trained all week.

‘A draw was probably a fair result and the save by Gaston from Graham was terrific.

‘Brian (Graham) has been out with Covid and then a back-spasm, so for him to through the game was a great effort.’