Arbroath manager Dick Campbell helped clinch his side’s place in the Championship for the third consecutive season then insisted it is his ‘biggest achievement’ in football.
The Angus side held their nerve against ten-man Morton to claim the point they needed to finish seventh and seal their place in Scottish football’s second tier for next term.
And Campbell, who has had ten promotion or title wins during a 34-year managerial career, believes keeping Arbroath up is his biggest feat yet.
“I’ve just said to the players that this is the best thing I’ve done in football,” said Campbell. “To keep this side in the Championship against full-time teams with far bigger budgets than us is incredible.
“It’s an amazing feeling and we’ve achieved this for the fans. It’s been a tough year for everyone with the pandemic and Arbroath fans have been starved of their football.
“They’ve not had a chance to see us play at this level but we’ve always felt their presence. Even tonight we heard them letting off their fireworks at the end to celebrate.
“I’m sad we can’t go out for a party with them but hopefully we’ll have them here with us next season in the Championship.”
Seventh oldest player in world
It was always going to be a night of high drama at Gayfield in what was billed as a ‘winner-takes-all’ clash.
Arbroath keeper Derek Gaston, who played 216 times for Morton in a seven-year spell in Greenock before moving to Angus, told The Courier he’d cast friendships to the side for 90 minutes.
Gaston was deputised by Rab Douglas, who took his seat on the Arbroath bench knowing he could become the seventh oldest player in the world if he was called into action.
With just a point separating Arbroath, Ayr United and Morton it was incredibly tight going into this one.
Arbroath knew they also had an outside chance of finishing 6th, ahead of Queen of the South, with a win.
Sharp-shooting
Ayr’s result at Inverness was also something that could have a bearing on proceedings, with Arbroath manager Dick Campbell admitting he’d be keeping an eye on proceedings in the Highlands.
Defeat for Ayr meant that Morton and Arbroath could both survive with a draw.
They came into the game in fine scoring form having netted nine goals in their last three games, with sharp-shooting striker Jack Hamilton netting in four consecutive games prior to Friday.
With Hamilton showing up well during his loan spell from Livingston, Arbroath have also reaped the rewards from other loanees such as Nicky Low, on loan from East Stirlingshire, and Rangers youngster Ben Williamson.
Williamson revealed in an interview last week that Dundee’s former Rangers and Scotland star Charlie Adam has been his inspiration.
The loan stars were always going to have a bearing on proceedings as the game kicked-off with Low, Williamson and Hamilton all in from the start.
Low had the game’s first chance as he brought the ball down superbly well before launching a 25-yard effort inches over Aidan McAdams’ goal.
However, that was it for attempts on goal in a nervy first period.
Both sides looked like they were weighed down with fear, more concerned about not making a mistake than producing a moment of magic to open the scoring.
Morton had a penalty claim waved away in 25 minutes as Ricky Little clashed with Gary Oliver but referee Gavin Ross waved away the furious protests from the Ton players.
The second half was a tense affair and referee Gavin Ross took centre stage with a couple of big calls.
Firstly, he turned down an Arbroath penalty claim as Jack Hamilton fell under the challenge of Markus Fjortoft.
Then he produced a straight red card for Morton’s Sean McGinty for a challenge on Scott Stewart to leave the visitors playing out the final 25 minutes a man down.
Morton tried and failed to find the goal they needed to avoid the relegation play-offs but Arbroath held on for a momentous achievement.
Teams
Arbroath: Gaston, Thomson, Hamilton, Little, O’Brien, Stewart, Low, Williamson, Hamilton, Doolan, Hilson. Subs: Douglas; Whatley, Gold, McKenna, Linn, Donnelly, Craigen.
Morton: McAdams, Ledger, McGinty, McLean, Fjortoft, McGinn, Jacobs, Colville, Nesbitt, McGuffie, Oliver. Subs: McGrattan; Muirhead, Orsi, Strapp, Lyon, Easdale, Hynes.
Referee – Gavin Ross
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