ARBROATH 0 SHIRE 1

Shire’s first away win since November couldn’t have been better timed. With the pressure on to avoid a sixth successive wooden spoon, everyone at the club knew the trip would be do-or-die.

A 35th minute strike from David Nicholls was all it took to defeat a strangely subdued Arbroath team, but that doesn’t tell the whole story as a defensively-disciplined Shire showed a steely resolve to keep the promotion-chasing Angus team out.

It arguably should have been more; both Joe Savage and Marc McKenzie had goals chalked off which, perhaps, should have been allowed to stand. Not that it prevented both players and travelling fans celebrating what could turn out to be an important three points.

Boss Jin McInally made two enforced changes to the starting eleven that had gained a creditable draw with Elgin City. Joe Savage replaced Andy Rodgers in a two-pronged strike force with Derek Ure while Craig Black came in at right-back for Scott Gibb.

Neither side seemed willing to take the initiative from the start and, inside the first quarter hour, the ball never entered either penalty box. Both seemed to take an ultra cautious approach, although Arbroath will feel they should have gone in front on 19 minutes.

Ryan McMullen’s cross from the right found Paul Tosh inside the box, he beat Gary O’Connor with a well-placed shot but he could only watch with a certain amount of despair as the ball hit the inside of the post and rolled back out to safety.

A minute later Andrew Brand fed Savage but his shot, although on target, took a deflection off an Arbroath leg allowing Darren Hill to make a comfortable save. Derek Ure made a positive run from deep soon after and unleashed an effort from the edge of the box which curled just wide of the target.

With neither team able to dominate the match it seemed things were headed for a goalless stalemate. That changed on 35 minutes when Shire were awarded a free-kick wide on the left. Kevin McBride fired the ball in low only for McMullan to clear at the near post. David Nicholls was first to the loose ball and, from 20 yards out, he bulleted a shot high to Hill’s left-hand corner.

Two minutes later Arbroath’s Paul Watson tried is luck with a 20 yard free-kick but could do no better than hit the defensive wall. It was an indication of the kind of day the home team was having.

Savage was just inches away from making it 2-0 on 40 minutes, but  couldn’t quite connect with Black’s tantalising cross. Two minutes later Arbroath did have the ball in the net but referee McLean disallowed Rattray’s header for a foul on David King.

Shire started the second half in positive fashion and Brand unleashed a great long-range effort after an exchange of passes with Ure but it went narrowly over the bar. Black then made a positive run towards the Arbroath goal which ended with a shot that went  across the face of goal and wide.

After 72 minutes Ure crossed perfectly for Savage to head the ball into the net at the back post, but the celebrations were cut short by the referee who, rather harshly, judged the Shire man to  have pushed McMullan in the back as he rose to connect with the cross.

Shire lost their foothold on the midfield as the game went on and gave Arbroath far too much possession. For all that, though, the home team created absolutely nothing. The only time O’Connor was called on to make a save was from a Watson shot which wouldn’t have counted anyway because the referee had already stopped the game for a foul.

Marc McKenzie was sent on with five minutes to go and made a bright contribution. He should have put the game beyond doubt three minutes from the end after finding the net with a perfect curling shot which beat Hill at the far post. But he was, again harshly, judged to be in an offside position by the linesman. McKenzie complained later that the pass he received from Kevin McBride had not gone forward.

But that was not going to dampen the celebrations on the full-time whistle. The three points could now go a long way in Shire’s fight to avoid another wooden spoon.

Arbroath : Hill, McMullen, Black, Rattray, Bishop, Tully(McBride 55), Campbell(Smith 55), Tosh(Reilly 72), Brazil, Watson, Deasley.

Shire : O’Connor, Black, K. McBride, Oates, Bolochoweckyj, King, Donaldson, Brand, Savage(Brownlie 75), Nicholls, Ure(McKenzie 85).

Referee : S. McLean