Renyard Returns

Fans favourite David Renyard has returned to the club after a spell working and travelling in the United States, the attacker will be back in training this week.

Vale of Leithen 3 Gretna FC (2008) 2

Vale of Leithen                3 (2)

C.Anderson, I.Little

GRETNA FC (2008)           2 (2)

I.Anderson, M.Worrall

After the highs of last weeks home victory against Spartans, the black and whites crashed to an improving Vale side.

Gretna gave away a goal in the first minute when poor defending allowed Vale captain, Chris Anderson enough room to strike from the edge of the area with Wright helpless in the Gretna goal, 1-0.

Iain Anderson broke down the left side of the penalty and cut the ball back for Connor Graham, but the young midfielder blasted his shot high and wide.

Gretna had the ball in the net in the tenth minute but Joe Slattery was ruled offside when running onto an Anderson flick.

Anderson nearly got on the scoresheet when he rose to head an Alan Inglis corner kick, but the big forwards header flashed across goal agonisingly past the far post.

Disaster for the visitors in the twentieth minute when Gretna defender Dave Wallace tried a cross field ball to Steven Rudd on the right but Chris Anderson blocked the pass and gave Wright no chance with a curling shot into the keepers right hand corner of the net, 2-0.

An uphill struggle for Gretna as passes went astray and decisions appeared to go against them.

Slattery tested the Vale keeper with a well struck right footed shot from long range, then an Inglis piledriver from 30 yards was turned round for a corner by the keeper. Slattery’s inswinging corner kick was cleared off the line with keeper stranded.

Gretna pulled a goal back when Slattery evaded several tackles as he waltzed his way through the home defence only to be denied by a good save by the keeper, fortunately Anderson was first to react to the react and blasted the ball under the keeper into the far corner of the net, 2-1. Minutes later the game was level, after Graham was fouled on the right midway in the Vale half, Inglis fired in a low free kick and Mark Worrall ran across the defence to turn the ball into the net, 2-2  H/T.

Gretna started the better of the two sides in the second half with Anderson and Slattery pushing forward and trying to make use of the slope. The deceptive pace of Anderson was giving huge problems for the home defenders as he drove at the heart of their defence. Vale were restricted to counter attacks as the visitors pressed for the next goal, this was to prove the undoing of Gretna when after shots from Longcake, Slattery and Main were blocked and the ball broke for Little who ran from his own half and slotted the ball past Wright to make the score 3-2 to Vale.

Wright made a point blank save from V10 or the home side could have gone 4-2 up as Gretna were left bare at the back.

Big moment of controversy after the Vale keeper brought down Anderson on the edge of the box with the referee claiming the keeper was not the last man and brandished a yellow card for Vale number 1. This upset the Gretna support who believed the colour of the card should have been red.

Gretna manager Stuart Rome replaced Brandon Longcake with Jordan Barker and Lewis Todd for Jonny Blake as the game entered the closing stages.

Vale’s crossbar shook as a shot by Barker rebounded back off the bar and down onto the line, more despair for Wallace when he headed the ball over the bar with goal open in front of him. F/T 3-2.

GRETNA FC (2008)

G.Wright, J.Blake, A.Inglis, S.Rudd, D.Wallace, C.Graham, B.Longcake, A.Main, I.Anderson, J.Slattery, M.Worrall.

Subs: L.Todd, J.Barker, D.Graham, G.Thorburn, J.Greenall.

Local Derbies in the Scottish Sun Lowland League Cup

The draw has been made for the group stages of the Scottish Sun Lowland League Cup. There are four regionalised groups and Gretna FC 2008 are in the Dumfries & Galloway group along with Dalbeattie Star and Threave Rovers.

 

Two teams qualify from each group for the first knock out round, the group matches are scheduled for Saturdays 13th, 20th & 27th December 2014. The Group stage draw is as follows:

 

• Threave Rovers v Dalbeattie Star
• Dalbeattie Star v Gretna FC 2008
• Gretna FC 2008 v Threave Rovers

 

The three other groups are:

 

Scottish Borders consisting of Vale of Leithen, Gala Fairydean Rovers & Selkirk

 

Central Group A consisting of Preston Ath, Edinburgh University, University of Stirling & East Kilbride.

 

Central Group B consisting of Spartans, BSC Glasgow, Whitehill Welfare & Edinburgh City.

 

 

Gretna (2008) 2 Spartans 0

GRETNA FC (2008)               2 (1)

A.Inglis, I.Anderson

Spartans                                      0 (0)

Spartans, last seasons Lowland League Champions were beaten by Stuart Rome’s young guns, this was no shock result witnessed by the home support, Gretna bossed the game from the first whistle and the visitors couldn't get a foothold in the game. Iain Anderson leading the line was up against some robust challenges as the visitors defence used all their experience to try harness the young striker.

In the 10th.minute Gretna keeper Graham Wright had to look lively when Muhsin found himself free to strike from 12 yards but Wright pulled off a one handed save. Back down the other end Anderson broke through only to be barged off the ball outside the box with the Spartans defender clearing the danger. 

The home defence were keeping the Spartans forwards quiet with Adam Main and Darren Addison controlling the midfield. In the 35th.minute Dave Wallace went close with a header from an Inglis free kick. 

With the interval approaching Gretna’s Anderson was hauled down by Spartans Kevin Sivewright just outside the penalty area. Inglis strike was gathered by Swain at the left hand post.

Gretna took the lead when Inglis struck in spectacular fashion with an overhead scissor kick with Swain a mere spectator, 1-0 H/T.

Gretna took the field in the second half in determined mood to add to their one goal lead and Main should have done better with his chance when he intercepted a Spartans pass on the half way line. Outpacing the visitors defence Main blasted his shot wide of the target.

The home support got behind their team and were rewarded with a piece of quality play when Main put Slattery through down the left wing. Slattery produced a bit of magic to get past his marker and ran into the box where he picked out Anderson who slammed the ball into the net, 2-0.

As the game entered into the final minutes the visitors Motion was shown his second yellow card of the match and was sent off. F/T 2-0.

A good performance by an ever improving Gretna side as they begin to gel.

GRETNA FC (2008)

G.Wright, J.Blake, A.Inglis, S.Rudd, D.Wallace, D.Addison, B.Longcake, A.Main, I.Anderson, J.Slattery, Trialist. Subs : L.Todd, M.Worrall, D.Graham, J.Barker, R.Halliday, G.Thorburn, J.Greenall.

Spartans

K.Swain, A.Mackinnon, G.Cennerazzo, K.Sivewright, M.Bruce, K.Motion, C.Stevenson, S.Muhsin, R.Ross, W.Bremner, A.Brown. Subs : J.Beacher, J.Beesley, J.Grant, D.O'Donnell, R.Gilpin.