Whitehill Welfare 1 Gretna FC (2008) 1

Whitehill Welfare  1 (1)

McIntosh

GRETNA FC (2008)  1 (0)

Anderson (pen)

Games between these two sides are always keenly contested and this one was to be no different.

Early play saw both sides testing each other out and play was a bit frantic. A cross into the area by Joe Slattery found Darren Addison but the Gretna midfielder’s shot just cleared the bar. At the other end Graham Wright was on hand to gather a shot from Andrew Kidd in the 10th.minute.

Jonny Blake picked out Slattery with a delicate pass and the forwards shot drifted across the Welfare goal and the wrong side of the post.

The visitors were enjoying lots of possession and when a Steven Rudd free kick found Brandon Longcake unmarked a goal looked certain until Welfare keeper Bryan Young brought off a spectacular one handed save.

Welfare were limited to long balls up the field for McIntosh to run onto and this tactic worked in the 28th.minute putting the home side into the lead, 1-0.

Gretna responded with efforts from a Slattery header saved by Young and an Alan Inglis long range effort again saved by the Welfare keeper.   

The home side rode their luck on a couple of occasions with Iain Anderson outpacing the Welfare back four but twice the big Gretna forward shot across goal agonisingly just the wrong side of the post with the keeper beaten. Slattery should have scored when he ran into the box onto a Rudd cross but his header was straight at the keeper, H/T 1-0.

The second half saw Welfare hit the bar after an excellent reaction save by Wright following a mistake by Blake on the right in the first minute.

Straight down the other end Welfare cleared off the line as the game set off at a terrific pace both sides eager to score the next goal. Gretna drew level in the 58th.minute when Blake was brought down by Gareth Thom inside the box. Iain Anderson cooly stepped forward and sent Young the wrong way with his penalty kick bringing the scores level.

The game was mostly played in the Welfare half for the remainder of the second half as the visitors looked the more likely to score. Anderson, Slattery and Longcake were unlucky not to add to the Gretna score as the home side were finding it difficult to cope with the movement of the visitors. Welfare’s McIntosh should have scored in the 75th.minute but Wright was on hand to make a comfortable save from the big forwards header.

Lewis Todd replaced Addison in the 80th.minute and the young midfielder made an immediate impact running onto a through ball from Adam Main only to be knocked off the ball when through on goal, surprisingly the official allowed play to continue and the chance was lost.

Despite having numerous corners in the closing stages Gretna couldn't find the back of the net and game ended in a draw.

GRETNA FC (2008) :

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