Ever since Arbroath United were relegated from the Eastern Premier League at the end of the 2022 campaign, they’ve had their sights on an immediate return to that division.
Now that opportunity stands before them after the Lochlands men clinched the SPCU North East Championship title last Saturday, with a win away at Huntly.
Having done half the job by winning their league, they now have to be successful in a play-off match with the ESCA Championship title winners in early September, to see who goes up to the EPL.
The ESCA Championship title race is still ongoing with two rounds of action to go, but 14 wins and one loss in completed matches over the last 16 weeks has sealed Arbroath the SPCU North East Championship top spot.
Captain Bryce Carnegie said: “I’d just like to pay tribute to the way that the team has gone about its business this summer.
“We were all disappointed with the way last year ended, but we soon got our heads up and targeted an instant return to the Eastern Premier League.
“That is something we still have to achieve, but we have given ourselves a chance by making the play-off game and I am sure we will have a good support travelling to Falkland for that big one because the wider club always supports us really well.
“We knew going into this season that we would be favourites in quite a few of our league games, but it is one thing being favourites and it is another thing showing it and seeing a job through while we also knew that teams would be out to take our scalp each week.
“Apart from the recent loss to Forfarshire II, we have kept standards really high and a number of players have contributed with bat and ball when required in different games.
“We now want to keep those standards high over our final two league games and into the play-off match because we know that the job is not finished yet.
“I’d also like to thank all of the club members who have supported and helped us get to where we are just now over this summer, we are a real community club and continue to be so.”
Jared Meiring, the South African, has been a great addition for Arbroath, scoring 772 runs in the league so far with a highest score of 145 not out, including eight fifties as well as that century.
Those runs see him top of the SPCU North East Championship standings, while he’s also eighth in the bowling list with 22 scalps.
Fellow South African Keegan Crawford has been dealing with a back injury of late, but took eight league wickets early in the campaign and is nearing a return to full fitness.
Supporting Meiring with bat has been Ross McLean with 389 league runs, Jack Palomer with 363 and Darryl Sinclair with 356.
It’s been a team effort in the field as well, as alongside Meiring and Crawford, Craig Ross leads the SPCU North East Championship standings with 31 wickers, Christopher Robb has taken 25 scalps and Ryan Plomer 15. Ross’ best figures to date have been 6-4.
Thanks to Paul Thomson for the images of Arbroath in action
