 |
Albion Rovers 1 v 3 Gretna |  |
|
Albion Rovers 1 v 3 Gretna | |
| Bell's League Third Division 14th October 2003 |
Click to enlarge
Photos courtesy & © of Dominic
Smith
Attendance : 357
Scorers ~ Albion Rovers : Stirling (88 pen). Gretna : Stevens (27, 67), Skelton (47).
Rovers started this match having trying not to lose four matches on the trot for the second time this season. They didn't manage it and slipped to seventh place in the table as a result. Promotion is not a word bandied about at Cliftonhill lately and doesn't seem likely to make a comeback anytime soon.
Playing on an extremely wet Friday night due to Scotland's Euro 2004 play-off game a minutes silence was perfectly observed for Maxwell Crichton who passed away the previous Friday. The Cliftonhill pitch coped admirably with the rain, unfortunately for Rovers fans their team didn't cope with Gretna anything like as well.
Peter Hetherston changed the team somewhat from recent underperforming ones. Out went the departed Iain Diack who left for a non-football job and also David Farrell and Sean Sweeney who were apparently dropped from the squad altogether. Mark Yardley also missed the match due to the injury he sustained at Stair Park. In came Mark Molloy who started a Rovers match for the first time and Jordan Smith.
It took four minutes for Gretna to show they meant business when Gavin Skelton saw his shot from the edge of the box go past Rovers post. A few minutes later a Baldacchino shot from 30 yards had Bennett scrambling back to touch it over the bar for a corner.
In 14 minutes a Kevin McAllister free-kick from the corner of the box was headed at keeper Mathieson by Jordan Smith from a range of about a yard. A bit later a lovely series of one - two's between McAllister and McManus broke down once they got into the Gretna box.
Goal
In 27 minutes Gretna opened the scoring when an Ian Stevens bullet header from a Ryan Baldacchino cross from the right evaded the defence. A minute later a Kevin McAllister shot from a Molloy cross thumped into keeper Mathieson, the rebound shot went just past.
A few minutes before the break poor communication between Rovers defensive players could have caused a goal. Paterson stood thinking a colleague would get the ball while a Gretna player waltzed in to pick up the ball 30 yards from goal. Luckily no shot resulted from the mistake. Rovers last worthwhile attempt on goal in the first period was a Kevin McAllister shot from 30 yards which was easily plucked from the air by Mathieson.
Second Half
Just 2 minutes into the second period things got much worse for Rovers when a low shot by Gavin Skelton from about 25 yards evaded Bennett and went into the right hand corner of the net.
In 54 minutes John McCaig picked up a yellow card for a foul. Next a Davie Irons header from a yard came off Bennett and the rebound wasn't any more accurate before a powderpuff shot from Skelton was saved by Neil Bennett. Soon afterwards a perfect cross resulting from a long Baldacchino run was skied by the unmarked Skelton.
A 30 yard Stirling shot which was well over the Gretna bar was soon followed by the third Gretna goal in 67 minutes. Ian Stevens picked up the ball in the 6 yard box and poor defending let him slip the ball past Bennett to complete the visitors scoring.
Gretna's David Holdsworth gained a booking for a virtual assault on Paul McManus and a few minutes later Rovers captain Jim Mercer was also booked. In 78 minutes John McCaig got a second yellow card for body-checking Baldacchino.
A minute later Baldacchino went on a run and crossed to a colleague in Rovers box in plenty of space but the resultant shot went over the bar. Four minutes from time a strong Stirling shot resulting from a McAllister cross was straight at keeper Mathieson.
With just 2 minutes to go a McManus through ball put McAllister in the box where he was upended by the Gretna keeper. Stirling stepped up to firmly put the ball in the net as Mathieson guessed wrongly.
John McCaig will be available for selection at Montrose in the Scottish cup match as his suspension will be for the next league match (v Stirling Albion at Cliftonhill).
Albion Rovers : Bennett, Paterson (McKenzie 71), Stirling, Smith, McCaig, McBride, McAllister, McCaul, Molloy (Cormack 80), McManus, Mercer. Unused Subs : Fahey, Valentine, Selkirk.
Gretna : Mathieson, Birch, Maddison, Prokas, Irons, Holdsworth, Baldacchino, Galloway, Cameron (Allan 89), Stevens, Skelton. Unused Subs : Cosgrove, McGuffie, Gordon, Wylie.
Referee : Eddie Mack
Rovers Man of the Match - Paul McManus
