'It's our biggest game in years' - Arbroath manager Dick Campbell looks ahead to top of table clash against Kilmarnock
With 14 games remaining, Arbroath lead Killie by a single point as manager Dick Campbell tries to achieve the unthinkable by winning the league and taking a part-time team into the Scottish Premiership.
"I would say it’s the biggest game we’ve had in years,” Campbell told the Angus County Press. "If you’d said to me at the start of the season that in the first week in February we would be playing Kilmarnock and we’re top and they’re second you’d have thought I’d lost my marbles.
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Hide Ad"Kilmarnock will be heavy favourites. We’ll do well to sneak a point off them.”
Despite his team’s high flying position, Campbell added: “I’ll not be disappointed if we don’t hit the play-offs. But I’ll certainly be trying.
"I wouldn’t have said it in August but I’m saying it in February. We need to stay injury and suspension free.”
Arbroath, who recently saw loan strikers Joel Nouble and Anton Dowds return to their parent clubs Livingston and Falkirk respectively, on Monday completed the signing of attacker Sam Ford, 23, from Felixstowe and Walton United, with the ex-Ipswich Town and West Ham youth joining until the end of the season.
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Hide Ad“I play a 4-1-3-2 and Sam will play in any of the forward five areas,” Campbell said. "He’s very quick and he’s a lethal finisher.
"He’s not big, he’ll be about the same size as me, five feet 11. He has real pace and I’m very happy for him to come in. It’s up to him to just be patient to start with.
"He’s not as big as Nouble or Dowds. (Jack) Hamilton and (Craig) Wighton are big enough.
"I’m going to try and bring in another couple of forward minded players on free transfers because I think I’ve got enough cover at the back and in midfield.”
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Hide AdArbroath go into the Killie game – for which they have a full squad available – on the back of last weekend’s home game against Partick Thistle being postponed due to the devastating effects of Storm Malik.
"It was impossible and dangerous as well,” Campbell said.
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