Arbroath’s Championship woes continued at Queen’s Park on Saturday as they suffered their second successive league defeat.
A 2-1 loss at Queen’s Park, on the back of a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Dundee United on the opening day, means Lichties are bottom after two games.
Goals from Barry Hepburn and Ruari Paton helped Queen’s claim the win, with Leighton McIntosh’s goal no more than a consolation effort for Arbroath.
Courier Sport was at Lesser Hampden to run the rule over Arbroath and here are three talking points from the loss in Glasgow.
The case for the Arbroath defence
After being given a torrid time by United last Friday, there was no let up for the Arbroath defence in Glasgow.
Lichties boss Dick Campbell described Spiders winger Dominic Thomas as ‘the best wide player in the Championship’ after the game.
And it’s easy to see why.
Thomas dominated possession and gave Aaron Steele his toughest test yet in an Arbroath jersey.
The slick short passing game of Queen’s Park had Arbroath chasing shadows at points of the opening period.
But credit where credit’s due, there were actually some sterling defensive displays from Arbroath to keep the scoreline down.
Ricky Little was excellent in the second period, as was Tam O’Brien.
𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥-𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞
The ref blows the final whistle here at the City Stadium.
A tough loss for the travelling fans after pulling level, but an opportunity for redemption next week at Gayfield.
Get home safe everyone!#ArbroathFCLive #MonTheLichties pic.twitter.com/svbXTn93rg
— Arbroath FC (@ArbroathFC) August 12, 2023
And right midfielder Scott Stewart, who has been forced to play as an unorthodox left back, had his best game in that position.
Campbell is still desperately seeking a new defender.
Arbroath v Queen’s Park: Familiarity breeds contempt or a chance for revenge?
These sides will meet again on Saturday in a rearranged Championship clash.
The decision to bring the game forward from a midweek slot at the end of October, certainly makes commercial sense.
Crowd numbers and hospitality sales should be greater than they would be on a cold Autumn night at Gayfield.
But what does it mean on the park?
It’s hard to tell where Arbroath will be in October.
Their new signings could have bedded in and they could be in the midst of a winning run or they could still be struggling to find their feet.
One thing’s for sure, though, they don’t want to already have three defeats to their name come next Saturday night.
Queen’s Park at Gayfield will be a different prospect entirely.
Their expensive hybrid pitch at the newly renovated Lesser Hampden lends itself to a passing game.
And while the Gayfield turf is in fine condition after a summer refurb, Queen’s are unlikely to enjoy the same time on the ball.
There were also signs in the second period as Arbroath levelled that the Gayfield side can dominate Queen’s Park by cutting off the supply to Thomas.
That will be pivotal to any success.
Going on the attack
Arbroath only scored 29 league goals last term.
Understandably, a lot of the summer transfer focus was on trying to address that.
With the arrival of Mark Stowe, Jermaine Hylton, Jay Bird, Kenan Dunnwald-Turan and Leighton McIntosh, Arbroath have refreshed their options.
And while it’s still early days, each of the five has shown promise in different ways.
Stowe’s pace and determination to dribble to the byline causes issues for defenders.
Hylton’s clever flicks and unique passing style can unlock defences. Bird has an eye for goal, if he gets the supply,
Dunnwald-Turan has come in for some criticism but his hold-up play offers a different option
And hard-working McIntosh has two goals in six games – with only two starts.
There’s a long way to go but if Arbroath can lock the back door, they are unlikely to suffer as many 0-0 draws as last term.
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