Ryan Dow aims to help Arbroath get back on track after overcoming ‘health issue’

Ryan Dow was ruled out of Arbroath action for a couple of weeks due to a “health issue”.

But the midfielder returned for 45 minutes last weekend against Partick Thistle – and wants to help the Lichties put things right at Airdrie after being annoyed by the last couple of results and performances.

A fine performance at Gayfield against the Diamonds in September saw Arbroath run out 4-0 winners.

Dow wants to replicate that performance in Lanarkshire on Saturday but knows how tough an assignment that will be.

He said: “I had a health issue a couple of weeks ago, I went through to Hampden for a screening that got flagged up that they thought might be a concern.

“I couldn’t do much until I got further tests but they were fine and happy for me to go back playing again.

“It was a precautionary thing, I hadn’t trained, then played 45 minutes last weekend against Partick.

“I was a bit tired after not doing much over the last few weeks but it was good to get a game again then a good weeks training to get back into the spring of things.”

On Arbroath’s recent form, he said: “As a squad, we’ve been disappointed by the last couple of weeks.

“We know we’re a good team with good players, it’s not what we’re about and it’s not the type of performance we’re about either.

“We let ourselves down twice against Dundee United and the last few weeks have been annoying us as a group.

“We were different class the last time we played Partick and it was our best performance of the season at Firhill but it was a different game last week.

“It’s been frustrating that we’ve let ourselves down and we’re keen to rectify that on Saturday.

“We were excellent the last time we played Airdrie but it’s not as easy as that as we saw last week – it will be a different game on Saturday.

“We need to build on things we didn’t do right against Partick and do the same things that went right for us the last time against Airdrie.

“They’ll have the 4-0 defeat in the back of their mind and we know how tough a game it will be, there a team that like to play.

“We’ll look to get a similar result and performance.”