Arbroath travelled to Stirling Albion for another warm-up clash as they gear up for the big kick-off on July 19th.
Lichties faced last year’s League Two champions as they continue to sharpen up for the Viaplay Cup clash with Cowdenbeath later this month.
Courier Sport was in Stirling and here are five talking points from the match as Arbroath ran out 2-1 winners.
Arbroath v Stirling match brief
This was Arbroath’s third pre-season friendly and there was a noticeable lift in tempo.
With fewer trialists – just two this week – and the return of Michael McKenna, Scott Stewart and David Gold to the fold, the had a much more settled look.
Once again Mark Stowe impressed on the wing and he set up the opener.
His quick burst of pace and clever cutback set-up Ryan Dow for an easy opener.
Kieran Moore drew Stirling level as he drilled home from 18 yards just before the break.
In the second half Dale Carrick cracked a header off the bar for Stirling.
But Arbroath restored their lead with a stunning 15 yard strike from their English trialist striker.
His hunger to get on the ball, clever touches and laser-sharp finish will do his chances of a deal no harm.
Scott Allan fighting for second chance at Arbroath?
By his own admission, Scott Allan hasn’t yet made an impact at Arbroath.
A marquee signing last summer, Allan was expected to take Lichties to the next level.
But his season never got off the ground with just 12 starts and seven substitute appearances for the ex-Celtic, Dundee United and Hibernian man.
Everyone, though, deserves a second chance.
And Allan may yet get one at Arbroath after Dick Campbell told Courier Sport he was ‘looking sharp’ in pre-season training.
That was enough to merit a start at Stirling and he saw plenty of the ball from a deep-lying midfield role.
He tried to be creative with his passing but it didn’t always come off.
There’s no doubting Allan’s technical ability.
He’s also, almost always, keen to move the ball forward but for him to flourish at Arbroath he’ll need legs around him in midfield.
How did Arbroath’s new-look strikeforce perform?
Arbroath have refreshed their attack in the summer and are still on the hunt for another goalscorer.
Leighton McIntosh arrived for his third spell at Arbroath and German striker Kenan Dunnwald-Turan joined on Friday after a successful trial.
McIntosh is tried and trusted.
Dunnwald-Turan is unproven but their styles complement each other perfectly.
The combination of McIntosh’s industry and instinctive runs and the power of Dunnwald-Turan could work.
McIntosh looked busy and Turan had some nice simple touches, proving he is capable of holding up and linking to midfield.
Ali Adams: Confident communicator and crisp kicker
Ali Adams knows he has a battle to wrestle the gloves off Derek Gaston.
Gaston is homing in on the club’s clean sheet record and has been a phenomenal keeper for Arbroath.
But Adams certainly looks like he’ll add a new dimension when called upon.
His communication is clear and confident and his kicking ability is up there with the very best at this level.
Arbroath core group still going strong
There’s a lot of chat about recruitment in Arbroath.
Dick Campbell has admitted repeatedly that he didn’t sign well last summer.
However, there is a lot of hard work being done by the club’s new head of recruitment Barry Sellars behind the scenes.
He’s leaving no stone unturned in his bid to bring players to the table who could improve Arbroath.
You can’t, though, lose sight oft he fact that there’s still a very strong core group of players in this squad.
Derek Gaston, Ricky Little, Tam O’Brien, David Gold, Michael McKenna and Scott Stewart were all in the squad and have been the backbone for several years.
That experience will be crucial next season.
