Stenny draw a ‘fair result’—Weir Courier
ALL THINGS considered, Arbroath manager Jim Weir was satisfied with the point against Stenhousemuir.
“It was a poor game in the first half but we took it to them in the second,” he said. “I was pleased with our loan players and Steven Doris was tremendous. “The players don’t know when they are beaten.”
Stenhousemuir had already hit the woodwork before Robert Love bagged the opener on 77 minutes. There were only four minutes left when Arbroath levelled through a Steve Hislop drive off a Doris pass.
The pair had combined well earlier in the game but squandered a chance to open the scoring, Hislop had an attempt roll past the post and Keith Gibson had a couple of good chances. “There is no doubt the players are working very hard and I can’t fault them for effort,” said Weir. “Some of them were out on their feet as they came off the park.
“Arbroath have lost 3-0 to Stenhousemuir twice this season—a draw was a fair result this time. I feel we are improving,” added Weir, who is looking to add a couple of new faces to his squad.
The Lichties’ next two matches are both at home and Weir appealed for the fans to turn out in force.
Arbroath’s spirit bodes well for rest of season, says McGowne P&J
STENHOUSEMUIR manager John Coughlin appeared to have made an inspired double substitution when Robert Love came off the bench with Iain Diack in the 64th minute of a dire contest to fire the Warriors in front 11 minutes later, but Steven Hislop’s leveller five minutes from time left Love in despair.
A no-score draw was looking likely until Iain Thomson found Scott Dalziel wide on the left. When the latter crossed low into the box, Love calmly side-footed home from close range Given that neither keeper had been tested previously, that looked to have won the match for the home side.
However, with five minutes remaining Keith Gibson’s free kick into the heart of the Warriors’ rearguard was chested down by Steven Doris into the path of the unmarked Hislop and the former Ross County and Caley Thistle forward swept home the equaliser from 14 yards.
It was no less than the Red Lichties deserved in an evenly matched encounter, but as both sides appeared punchless at the sharp end, it was still a shock to the home team.
Arbroath manager Jim Weir missed the first half attending a funeral and assistant Kevin McGowne said after the game: “We had plenty of possession, but did not trouble their keeper too much. “To be fair neither did they and when they scored it looked like a winner.
“Our lads never gave up though, and the attitude and determination they displayed after Stenny went ahead was terrific.
“We wanted all three points before kick-off because we need to get wins to take us out of the position we are in, but the way the game panned out we can not be too disappointed with a draw because the signs were there for future optimism.”
Stenny manager Coughlin said: “We would probably taken a draw before Robert scored. The way it had gone though, it looked like the winner, but we gave away a silly free kick and then defended it poorly.
“The last person you want to be given space in the box is Hislop. We were sluggish from the start and it looked like the deep freeze had affected everybody, but at home and going ahead so late on, it is another two points dropped.”
Sunday Mail
FURIOUS Stenny boss John Coughlin slammed his sleeping stars after they blew two vital points.
The Warriors opened the scoring in 76 minutes after sub Robert Love reacted quickest to Scott Dalziel's cutback before hammering home. And they looked odds-on to win until Steven Hislop fired Keith Gibson's free-kick into the with five minutes left.
Coughlin said: "When you score late on you think you've done enough to win but we switched off and handed them their equaliser. I'm gutted because you have to win your home games."
Arbroath No.2 Kevin McGowne said: "It looked like one goal was going to win it but we showed great character to equalise. We need that every week."
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