New Arbroath manager Jim McIntyre took some positives despite starting his reign with a 2-1 defeat at home to Morton.
McIntyre’s side at one point looked like they could get a winner of their own before George Oakley’s strike won all three points for the visitors.
That added to Lewis McGrattan’s first-half opener for Morton and cancelled out David Gold’s equaliser for Arbroath.
Courier Sport looks at the talking points from Arbroath’s 2-1 defeat at Gayfield Park to Morton.
Encouraging signs and fine margins
The conditions made it difficult but there were positives to take from Arbroath’s first match under the guidance of McIntyre.
Two chances in the first half – from Aaron Steele and Jay Bird – should have been on target at the very least.
From the second of those, Jay Bird’s sliced effort, Morton got up the pitch and took the lead second later.
There were some nice passages of play in the second half from Arbroath, mainly down the right and one of these led to their equaliser when Bird squared for Gold.
Defensive decisions
With Ricky Little likely to be missing for the foreseeable, McIntyre a a decision to make in defence.
As he pointed out, there are only four natural defenders at the club and now one of them is unavailable.
Jess Norey was the player introduced on Saturday, with Steele moving into central defence.
Scott Stewart played at full-back under previous manager Dick Campbell but McIntyre selected him as part of his midfield to take on Morton.
He kept his position and was involved in the well-worked equaliser.
Gap to the bottom narrows
The defeat brought Morton to within a point of Arbroath but the saving grace is that it tightens up the bottom six positions, not just the bottom two.
Dougie Imrie’s side are now six points away from fifth-placed Airdrie with two games in hand over them and Arbroath also have two games in hand over the Diamonds.
It means that any win or two can dramatically alter the standings.
Tough games keep coming
It’s easy to see every fixture as tough when you are near the bottom, but if Arbroath are going to lift themselves up the table with a few wins over the next few weeks, they will have to do it against in-form sides.
The Red Lichties host Raith Rovers on Wednesday before matches against Inverness, Dunfermline, Raith again and then Dundee United.
That said, the sides nearer the top of the division that anyone can beat anyone else on their day in this division.
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