Dalbeattie Star. 2 (1)
L.Sloan (2)
GRETNA FC. 5 (2)
D.Wood, I.Anderson, D.Neil, C.Graham (2).
Star's Lewis Sloan nearly opened the scoring in the 9th.minute
when his free kick struck the upright of Craig Murray's goal. After the early
scare Gretna held the upper hand with Iain Anderson and Scott Milligan going
close. The home side made the breakthrough from a Sloan free kick that
deflected off a Gretna defender giving Murray little chance, 1-0 in the
21st.minute.
The visitors were back on level terms in the 29th.minute when Dan
Wood curled a twenty yard shot into the top corner of the net from a Darren
Addison cross, 1-1.
Gretna dominated the remainder of the first half and they were
rewarded when Wood's long ball out of defence was headed on by Joe Slattery
into the path of Anderson who outpaced the Star defence and guide his shot
beyond Martin into the net, 1-2 on the stroke of half time.
At the start of the second half Gretna went close when Anderson
got on the end of Danny Graham's cross into the box, but the big number nine
headed over Martin's bar.
Slattery nearly increased the lead for the visitors but his shot
flew just the wrong side of the post.
Gretna manager Stuart Rome was forced into making a substitution after Striker Iain
Anderson fell heavily on his arm and was replaced by Dylan Neil in the
67th.minute.
Neil made an immediate contribution when he was on hand to lob
the ball over Martin and into the net to score in the 70th.minute, 1-3.
Further substitutions by Rome saw Michael McAnespie and Connor
Graham replace Greig Thorburn and Brandon Longcake. In the 78th.minute Star
were handed a life line when they were awarded a penalty which Sloan smashed
into the net with Murray managing to get a hand to it but the strike was too
fierce, 2-3.
With Star going all out for an equaliser they were caught out in
defence and when Martin raced from his area, he collided heavily with Neil and
the ball broke kindly for Connor Graham who had the composure to lobbed the
ball into the unguarded net from 40 yards taking Gretna into a 4-2 lead.
With the game drawing to a close Connor Graham added his second
and Gretna's fifth in the 89th.minute when he got on the end of an Adam Main
shot to slot the ball into the net from six yards out, 2-5 F/T.
Dalbeattie Star :
D.Martin, R.Maxwell, L.Park, G.Anderson, H.Cameron, D.Dunglinson,
J.Steele, C.Ferguson, T.Muir, L.Sloan. L.Todd. Subs: C.Neill, L.Wells,
D.Kerr, P.Cook, J.Baxter.
Gretna FC :
C.Murray, D.Graham, G.Thorburn, D.Wood, A.Inglis,
D.Addison, B.Longcake, A.Main, I.Anderson, S.Milligan, J.Slattery. Subs: M.McAnespie, C.Graham,
G.Cowper, D.Neil, R.Halliday.
