Arbroath boss Dick Campbell insists he isn’t interested in any hard-luck stories.
Instead, he has demanded his players show they have taken on board the harsh lessons from last week’s gut-wrenching loss to Dundee United when they play Ayr today.
The Red Lichties looked like they would pull off one of the most memorable results in their recent history last week, leading the title favourites at Tannadice thanks to a Luke Donnelly goal as the game entered the 88th minute.
However, the Tangerines’ danger man Lawrence Shankland popped up with an equaliser and then broke Arbroath hearts by scoring the winner in stoppage time.
It was a bitter blow for the Angus side and their supporters but Campbell admits that while disappointed with the result, he has taken a lot of positives from his players’ performance against the league leaders.
Campbell said: “They have a big electronic clock behind the dug-out at Tannadice and I’m looking at it and it is showing 88 minutes.
“United hadn’t been at the races and in my opinion we had a stonewall penalty kick turned down and we have hit the post.
“The game should have been finished and done.
“In fairness to the boy Shankland, he hadn’t kicked a ball but it came into him in the box, he took a touch and he finished it.
“Even then I was thinking it is probably still a good result but then they scored the winner.
“It was a bitter pill to swallow. I am not one of those guys who listen when people say, ‘You were unlucky, Dick’.
“The brutal fact is we didn’t see the game out – that’s the reality and the lesson we have to learn.
“But in terms of general play we have set ourselves a nice wee problem because we more than dealt with anything Dundee United had to offer.
“They are the league favourites and we have set a very high standard against them.”
United top the Championship table but only on goal difference ahead of Ayr who lost their manager this week after Ian McCall agreed to move to Partick Thistle with Sandy Stewart appointed interim boss at Somerset Park.
However, Campbell insists he will as ever be fully focused on his team and not on what has been going on with the opposition.
He added: “We go into the game against an Ayr team that beat Dundee United 2-0 just a fortnight ago.
“They have lost their manager this week but Sandy Stewart will be taking the team.
“I think Sandy is a very popular guy down there and a good guy.
“But it is more about what we do and we have a right good team with a lot of competition for places.
“I have named the team and there will be a couple of changes from last week.”
Gavin Swankie and Scott Stewart will miss out through injury.
