GRETNA'S SPL obituary was being composed pretty much before a ball was kicked in earnest this season.
GRETNA 2 Deuchar 33, Murray 50
FALKIRK 0
Every reporter with a notepad and every fan with a voice has been quick to round on the Raydale Park club, declaring them all but relegation certainties. The truth is Davie Irons' men are still probably
heading for the drop, but with an impressive third win of the season well earned against a Falkirk team on a long unbeaten run there is still life in the Borderers, and where there is life there will remain hope.
There was more than enough on show here from the Black and Whites to suggest they can't be counted out quite yet, with a resurgent Kenny Deuchar back among the goals, Gavin Skelton outstanding in midfield and a newly constructed defence looking far more watertight. Indeed, if both Hearts and St Mirren hadn't also won yesterday survival could really be looking plausible rather than merely just possible for the bottom dogs. The First Division champions should have been ahead ten minutes in when the unquestionably talented Fabian Yantorno blazed wildly when set-up intelligently by strike partner Deuchar. Missing gilt-edged chances wasn't merely the domain of the home team, as Falkirk's Kevin McBride proved by failing to hit the target when picked out unmarked by Pedro Moutinho, although there was work for home keeper Tony Caig to do soon after when he was required to keep Graham Barrett's flying header out.
There were further signs of Gretna's regeneration just after the half-hour mark when Deuchar rose highest to nod home a dead-weight Yantorno centre. On a playing surface that was far from perfect, the normally fluid passing game of John Hughes' team was running aground. Yet they would have gone in level at the interval had Carl Finnigan not waited an eternity before getting away a shot Caig did well to parry.
The first half had been one Irons would have been delighted with, and the way his side started the second period understandably had him jumping with joy. New Bairns captain Darren Barr's defensive header looked to have cleared the danger five minutes in, only for home skipper Paul Murray to walk on to the loose ball and thunder home a stunning strike fit to grace any football cathedral in the world, never mind a grimly populated Fir Park.
With a two-goal cushion to protect, Gretna could only lose the game now. However, despite not having a top-flight shut-out all season long, they continued to take the game to the visitors who by now had chopped and changed to no real effect in their bid to spark any kind of life into what was a fairly awful performance. Indeed, how much of the result is to be attributed to a disastrous off day for Falkirk and how much was down to Gretna's revitalisation remains up for debate. What is for certain is that, had Gretna played anything like this consistently throughout the season, they wouldn't be facing a task nearly as daunting as being asked to ascend Everest in plimsolls.
Gretna: Caig, Hall, Innes, Collin, Naughton, Jenkins, Murray, Skelton, Buscher, Deuchar, Yantorno (Makinwa 87)
Falkirk: Krul, Ross, Barr, Scobbie, Holden (Latapy 69), Cregg (Bradley 55), Riera, McBride, Moutinho (Milne 63), Barrett, Finnigan
Referee: C Allan
The full article contains 573 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
