Let’s go for the miracle crown
Campbell’s cry to five-star Arbroath
ARBROATH set up a blockbuster meeting with Kilmarnock on Friday evening after cruising to victory to move within one point of the Rugby Park side at the top of the Championship table.
Dick Campbell’s side trailed early on after Ally Roy headed Queen of the South ahead, but they replied in stunning fashion.
Colin Hamilton fired home the leveller, before Jack Hamilton put the hosts in front 12 minutes later.
Innes Cameron headed the ball into his own net to increase Arbroath’s advantage early in the second half and Jack Hamilton scored his third goal in two matches with a sensational strike just before the hour mark.
James Craigen nodded home in injury time to cap off another sensational day for Arbroath.
Gayfield boss Campbell declared: ‘I didn’t think it was a 5-1 game, all I wanted was to make the game alive on Friday and it’s now alive and kicking — what a game that’s going to be.
‘I’m looking forward to it, I have nothing to lose and neither does my club. I’m going down there with no illusions, I’ve got nothing to worry about. I’ll not be breaking my heart if we don’t do it — the pressure is all on Kilmarnock.
‘We’ve confirmed second in the league, let’s go to Kilmarnock and see what we can do.
‘We didn’t start the game well... I was contesting some parenthoods at half-time, I can assure you!
‘The second half was just constant waves of attack. Hammy’s second goal is just world class; if you saw that in the Premier League, it would be presented as goal of the season.
‘I’m delighted to have scored five goals — that puts us two goals in front of Kilmarnock on goal difference. The Killie boys were here today and they will know what they have to do. But I have no influence on that, I can only influence what Arbroath do.
‘There was two-and-a-half thousand here today. When I took over the average crowd was 500 — it’s fantastic.’
The first chance of the match fell the way of the visitors when Cameron drove forward before finding Roy, who sliced his shot wide of the target.
Queens had enjoyed a bright start, and they deservedly took the lead in 12 minutes after Joshua Debayo picked out Roy, who glanced his header beyond Derek Gaston.
Cameron passed up a glorious opportunity to double the advantage for Willie Gibson’s side when he was released by Ruari Paton, but his strike lacked the power to trouble the goalkeeper.
Arbroath appeared to be letting the occasion get to them, though they levelled matters with their first meaningful attack of the match.
Michael McKenna threaded a pinpoint pass to Colin Hamilton, who slammed the ball high into roof of the net.
Buoyed by their equaliser, the hosts started to gain a grip on proceedings, and Nicky Low stung the palms of Joshua Rae before Jack Hamilton sent the home fans wild with the goal that put Arbroath in front.
The on-loan striker held off Darragh O’Connor before powering a low drive that took a deflection off the Queens player on the way into the bottom corner.
Thomas O’Brien almost gave the Litchies the perfect start to the second half when he connected with Low’s corner, but his header drifted just wide of an upright.
Arbroath extended their lead nine minutes into the second half when Cameron headed Low’s corner into his own net, the Kilmarnock loanee making an error that could hamper his parent club’s title bid.
Cameron came close to making amends for his mistake when he rose to meet Calvin McGrory’s corner, but he was denied by the crossbar.
The game was put beyond doubt on 59 minutes when Jack Hamilton rocketed a sublime effort into the top corner.
Gaston tipped Harry Cochrane’s shot behind for a corner as the visitors looked to find a way back into the match, but the home side continued to look the more likely.
Bobby Linn was denied by the legs of Rae, and Jack Hamilton powered a shot into the side netting, before Craigen headed home at the back post to complete another fine victory for Arbroath.
Defeat for Queens leaves the Dumfries side perilously close to relegation, trailing ninth-placed Dunfermline by nine points, with just three games still to be played.
Player-manager Gibson said: ‘We scored a terrific goal, but after that it was a horror show.
‘You look through the Arbroath side, they are flying and full credit to them. They have got experience throughout their side.
‘I feel at times we are too nice, we are naïve. When the chips are down you really need the boys to come out fighting and have a wee bit of nastiness.
‘I don’t mean going out and smashing folk, just little things. If you can’t go and win it, make sure they are not getting a free header. I felt that Ricky Little and Tam O’Brien had it far too easy today.
‘We know now if we don’t win on Tuesday (v Inverness) then we are down. Miracles do happen, but we know we are up against it now.’