The floodlights were lit, the TV cameras were in place and the stage was set for the Championship game of the weekend as Arbroath hosted Kilmarnock.
And the Lichties certainly lived up to their billing as table-toppers.
Some might have expected the Ayrshire side to spoil the party at Gayfield having strengthened in the January window but in reality, that was far from the case.
cinch me! I’m dreaming!
Arbroath 1 – 0 Kilmarnock
10 man part time Arbroath hold on for YET another win! YAS!!!!
C’mon the Lichties! pic.twitter.com/crQvcMHKFm
— Arbroath FC (@ArbroathFC) February 4, 2022
Killie were outplayed and did not deserve to take anything from the game, going down 1-0 thanks to a gifted goal from Zach Hemming after fumbling Jack Hamilton’s strike.
The result puts Arbroath fans in dreamland once again, moving their side four points clear at the top of the league.
Courier Sport takes a look at three talking points as Arbroath continue to work wonders.
Perfect time to face Kilmarnock?
Take nothing away from Arbroath. They were more than deserved winners on the night and created the better chances.
They probably should have won by more but the three points is all that matters.
But did the Lichties come up against Kilmarnock at the perfect time?
The Ayrshire side has brought in six new faces since the turn of the year as they look to return to the Premiership at the first time of asking.
All of the new boys featured for the side on Friday night, either starting the game or coming on from the bench.
At times Killie looked disjointed but still showed some flashes of quality.
🔊 New @GoPro media mod microphone added to the GoPro in front the Lichties and listen to that roar! pic.twitter.com/bfnKzZLd4s
— Arbroath FC (@ArbroathFC) February 5, 2022
Arbroath boss Dick Campbell commented after the game: “Kilmarnock showed in spells that they’re going to get better, so we won’t be counting our chickens.”
As time goes by and the Killie team gels a bit better, could Friday night have been the best possible time to have faced them?
Rock solid Arbroath
Kilmarnock could have played until midnight on Friday and still would not have found a way through the Arbroath defence.
Winger Scott Stewart was awarded man of the match by the BBC pundits, but Thomas O’Brien, Ricky Little and Chris Hamilton were equally as deserving.
The two centre backs were able to snuff out any danger brought on by Kilmarnock winning every ball.
While defensive midfielder Hamilton was a constant pest to the attackers, closing down everything as it neared the Lichties’ rear-guard.
In between the sticks Derek Gaston collected another clean sheet – that’s 11 for the season. The shot-stopper didn’t have too much to do on the night but when called upon was able to make vital saves when needed.
Week-in, week-out boss Dick Campbell sticks with the same backline with Hamilton sitting in front of them.
He trusts them implicitly – and no wonder having conceded the joint-fewest goals in the division.
Massive crowd
A crowd of 2,803 fans turned out to see this Championship heavy-weight tussle. Almost 10% of the population of Arbroath.
Not bad at all, considering it was a freezing Friday night and the game was shown live on the BBC.
Kilmarnock brought around 600 supporters from Ayrshire and, credit to them, backed their team for the whole 90 minutes.
But the community spirit is absolutely buzzing, all brought about by the club.
The Gayfield club boasts in excess of 1,100 season ticket holders, that meant a further 1,000 Lichties bought tickets to see the only part-time team in the league.
Many of those in the crowd were young kids, adorned in maroon hats, scarves and strips.
And they weren’t disappointed as Dick Campbell’s men put on a show for them.
If the side continue to pick up results and play the way that they do, attendances like Friday night’s could be the norm – especially in the Premiership.
