`Confident' Lichties ready for Sons

ARBROATH go into today’s home game with Dumbarton with some added confidence following their recent victory over Clyde.

Their opponents are also one of only two teams that the Lichties have beaten at home this season.

In August, a strike from now departed midfielder Barry Sellars and goals from Steve Hislop and Robbie Ross notched up a 3-1 win for the Angus outfit.

But Gayfield boss Jim Weir knows the visitors, who are currently fifth in the league, will be a tough prospect.

He said, “I know Arbroath won against Dumbarton earlier in the season before I came here on a windy day when Barry scored from behind the halfway line, but they are going to be a very, very difficult team to beat.

“I know their manager Jim Chapman quite well and he will bring a well prepared side here.

“They have done very well coming in to this league and will be thinking that if they can get a win here it will push them further towards the top of the league.

“Hopefully our last result demonstrated the fight that we have in the side and I know it gave the whole squad a lift.

“I’d like the conditions to be good because we will still try to play entertaining football, but I know that sometimes the weather will rather dictate the style of play.”

Arbroath are boosted by the extension of striker Andy Jackson’s loan spell but they will have to do without Bryan Scott and Marc McCulloch who are both injured.

“Both Andy himself and St Johnstone felt that he could do with a longer spell here because postponements meant that he didn’t get much of a chance to work on his match fitness,” added Weir.

“Hopefully now we will be able to see the best of him.”