Arbroath’s players made history on Saturday by winning the first championship in the club’s 133-year history with a comprehensive victory over bitter rivals Montrose at Gayfield.
Goals from Steven Doris, Josh Falkingham, player-manager Paul Sheerin and Adam Strachan were enough to secure the third division title after Albion Rovers were beaten by Queen’s Park at Hampden.
As the final whistle blew, jubilant supporters flooded the pitch to celebrate.
The players gathered at the tunnel to celebrate, spray champagne and sing with the supporters. Then the party was in full swing.
The festivities continued in the dressing room where the players sang, danced and popped champagne corks.
Tuttie’s Neuk bar, just across the road from Gayfield, was like a carnival.
Supporters partied into the night wearing Arbroath tops, scarves and Paul Sheerin masks.
They were joined by some of the players to celebrate in the bar afterwards.
The match got under way after kick-off was delayed by 10 minutes to allow Arbroath’s biggest home gate of the season through the Gayfield turnstiles.
The Lichties got off to the best possible start when they were awarded a penalty on four minutes when Sean Crighton was adjudged to have pushed Steven Doris in the box.Penalty retakeDoris dusted himself down and sent Ramero Gonzalez the wrong way from 12 yards but referee Stephen Finnie ordered a retake for encroaching.
Doris picked the same corner again and his low drive went in off the right-hand post.
Montrose should have been level on 16 minutes when Ross McCord broke through on goal from a Darryl Nicoll flick but he fired over the bar from inside the box.
A few minutes later Gavin Swankie had the chance to double Arbroath’s advantage but his low right-foot effort was well saved by Gonzalez.
Sheerin was the architect of Arbroath’s best chances and he did well on 36 minutes to set up Swankie, whose long-range drive flew just over the bar.
Montrose almost pulled level in the 43rd minute before Arbroath hit them with a sucker punch to double their advantage.
Arron Sinclair’s header from a McCord free-kick was saved by Darren Hill and the Lichties got the ball forward quickly and caught Montrose on the hop with Doris laying the ball on for Falkingham to flick past the outrushing Gonzalez.Just wideMontrose started the second half brightly and had a good chance in the 49th minute when the ball fell to Dougie Cameron in the box but his left-foot shot squeezed wide.
Cameron went close a minute later with a dipping effort from long range which dropped over.
Arbroath went three up just after the hour with a moment of magic from their player-manager.
A corner broke to Sheerin who turned on the edge of the box and curled an exquisite left-foot curler over the head of Gonzalez to send the home fans into raptures.
Montrose rung the changes with immediate impact.
Substitute Fraser Milligan crossed from the right and Terry Masson scored with a spectacular overhead kick from 12 yards.
Gayfield erupted near the death as news of Albion Rovers’ result swept round the ground and Strachan put the icing on the cake with a last-minute lob over Gonzalez.