Dick Campbell insists Arbroath will be back in the frame for promotion next season after his side were defeated on penalties by nine-man Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Billy Dodds’ side now progress to the Premiership play-off final against St Johnstone, the first leg of which is next Friday night.
Kirk Broadfoot scored the decisive kick on a dramatic night at Gayfield watched by over 5,000 fans. Veteran winger Bobby Linn saw his effort saved by Mark Ridgers as Inverness won 5-3 on penalties after the second 0-0 draw between the teams in four days.
Inverness were controversially reduced to ten men when referee Willie Collum sent off Danny Devine with 25 minutes left.
They finished normal time with nine men after Shane Sutherland went off injured and they could not make any further subs until the start of extra-time. Wallace Duffy was later sent off for a second bookable offence -again it was debatable – after 112 minutes. Dodds stressed that he did not want Collum to become the story.
“We felt hard done by but this isn’t about Willie Collum - it’s about my players,” he said. “They were fired up by it, they felt that way.
“Sometimes you get it wrong on the sidelines, I know I do and when you do you put your hands up. Sometimes you’d like to see people do that.”
Campbell praised his players’ efforts even though they were found wanting in front of goal. “Statistically we were so far ahead of Inverness,” said Campbell. “Inverness only had one shot in the first half. They defended resolutely. They threw themselves at everything. But I have no complaints. To play 120 minutes at home and not score a goal, I have no complaints.
“We had 600 passes. They had 350. But that means nothing to me. We did not score any goals tonight.
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