Gretna Left Greetin' ..... Again!

headed the winner
By The Spider
August 7 2002

Tuesday, 6th August, 2002 Queen’s Park 2 Gretna 1 (Challenge Cup - 1st Round)

Scotland's oldest Senior club showed that there's life in the old Spider (sic) yet as the league's newcomers were duly despatched from the Challenge Cup following this first round tie.

The starting line-ups of both sides certainly made for interesting reading with only three players from each side having played in the pre-season friendly of just over a week ago, confirming the suspicion that both managers had been keeping their cards very close to their chests on that occasion.

Johnny Whelan made an unexpected, but very welcome, early return from injury for Queen's with Danny Ferry dropping to the bench while Gordon Lappin moved back from midfield. For Gretna, lining up at right back was Ryan McGuffie, and what a career this boy has had! McGuffie, some Queen's fans might recall, was signed by John McCormack as a left sided forward in 1998/99 season and played in 13 games scoring once in an end of season game at Dumbarton. Having failed to set the heather on fire, he returned to Annan Athletic where he matured into fine a right back (some transformation!), so much so that he was signed last season by Newcastle United before joining Gretna a few weeks ago.

Anyway, McGuffie and his team mates were powerless to prevent their first defeat since joining the Scottish League, although they did give a very good account of themselves.

Stuart Jack earned the first opportunity of the night for Queen's by gaining a free kick in a good position, but Tony Quinn's shot from Johnny Whelan's touch to the side was hooked well wide. One of Gretna's intentional absentees from the friendly was centre forward Dobie who had scored 38 goals for the club last season, and the big striker forced Tony Mitchell's first save of the night in the 4th minute with a well struck left foot shot. Three minutes later, Dobie chested the ball down for Hore who also tested Mitchell with his first time long range left foot shot.

In the 12th minute, Stuart Jack whipped over an early cross from the right and John Gemmell's right foot drive from Stephen Canning's chest down lay off fairly stung Mathieson's fingers and nearly slipped beyond them as the 'keeper struggled with the force of the shot. Another fine move in the 18th minute saw Gordon Lappin send a great ball through to Jack who squared across the face of the goal to the consternation of the visitors' defence who were unable to clear properly. When the ball came back over from the left, Jack showed good presence of mind to float his second cross of the move to the back post and Mathieson made an excellent save to stop Whelan's powerful header from sneaking in at his top corner

The opening goal, however, was only delayed by two minutes and a thing of beauty it was too. John Gemmell, whilst not the most stylish player ever to grace the right Hampden touchline, was certainly as effective as any by the way he charged past his marker to hammer a driven cross into the six yard box. Stephen Canning had gambled on his striking partner doing exactly that with a great run to the near post, and his header was judged to perfection as he sent the ball dipping over Mathieson and into the far corner. How the home supporters in the 600+ crowd lapped that one up, his second goal in consecutive games.

Queen's lead should have lasted all of a minute. Henney sent a measured pass across the face of the goal and Gordon slid in at the back post to finish off the move with the goal at his mercy. However, somehow the left winger contrived to send the ball back towards Mitchell who was diving across his goal more in hope than in the belief that he would have an earthly of a chance to save it, and indeed Tony did well to avoid taking the ball over the line himself with his own momentum. Gordon's head went noticeably down after that, but it was still a surprise when he was taken off a few minutes later.

John Gemmell was looking very much to be in the mood, and he produced a good diving save from Mathieson following another powerful run and left foot shot to match.

Queen's had paid the price for dozing off by losing an equaliser in the friendly at Gretna, and they nearly did so again here when no-one paid attention to a quickly taken free kick which allowed Skelton to move forward unchallenged. His powerful left foot drive took a nasty deflection and Tony Mitchell was just able to re-adjust his position before the ball skidded into the net at his right hand post.

As Gretna took a firm grip of the game, there was an even bigger let off in the 29th minute. A flowing move up the left wing saw Skelton play a lovely one-two with Hore before squaring the ball across the six yard box where Dobie finished with relish. Luckily for Queen's, he had been just a touch early with his run and the far side linesman's raised flag quickly curtailed the jubilant celebrations of the small but enthusiastic band of visiting supporters.

Undaunted by this misfortune, Gretna then forced a series of corners all of which were swung in right on top of Tony Mitchell who was put under great pressure on each occasion as he went to punch clear. The game died a bit for a spell after this, mostly due to a lot of unnecessary whistling from referee Ian "Fickle" Frickleton who seemed more concerned with making himself a key participant than allowing the game to flow.

Nonetheless, it was Gretna who still finished the half the stronger of the two teams, and Tony Mitchell did well to save Turner's close range header from Skinner's cross.

There is no doubt that the break came at just the right time for Queen's who had been very much on the ropes for the last quarter of an hour. Benefiting from some of Cowboy's half time encouragement, The Spiders looked much brighter upon the resumption with Danny Ferry on for the limping Lappin, and Gemmell once more in the thick of the action.

Big John's first effort came in the 50th minute with a near post header from an Allan cross, and this was quickly followed up with a long range first time shot from a Canning lay off. Johnny Whelan then launched one of his trademark long throw ins and Jimmy Allan was first to the second ball, his netbound volley being deflected for a corner.

Stuart Jack became the first player of the night to be booked following a trip on an opponent just outside the area in the 59th minute. Mitchell was again forced into a save, this time diving to his right to hold Skinner's free kick. Steven Moffat also received a yellow card three minutes later, being correctly pulled up by Frickleton at the end of a move following his off the ball tug on Henney's jersey more than a minute earlier. On this solitary occasion, it was a good piece of refereeing, although it of course went quite unappreciated by home fans.

In any game, but particularly one which is fairly even, it is essential that the leading team extends it further before their opponents can strike back and that is a lesson that John McCormack will be keen to see learned sooner rather than later. To evidence his preaching on that particular theme, he will no doubt point to Gretna's equaliser which then made it anyone's game for the taking.

Taking advantage of the isolation of Agostini and Moffat (both Ferry and Gallagher had been found in wide advanced positions far too often), Gretna had switched tactics to play early long range balls into the middle rather than their earlier passing game up the flanks, and it paid off in the 65th minute. It was simplicity itself the way that Hore rose to knock the ball down for Mark Dobie who used his strength to hold off a challenge before calmly sidefooting the ball past a hopelessly exposed Mitchell.

John Gemmell tried to quickly restore Queen's advantage, but his left foot shot was far too weak to trouble Mathieson. Dobie then also got himself booked after raising his hands right in front of Mitchell at a corner just once too often for Frickleton's liking.

Substitute Rowan Alexander, Gretna's brawling (according to Tuesday's Sun that is) player-manager, tried to give his team the lead for the first time but his header from Hore's cross cleared the bar (as indeed had his Saturday night actions!).

Stephen Canning had scored with an impressive left foot hook on Saturday, and he nearly repeated the trick in the 77th minute when his powerful shot only just failed to hit the target. Then John Gallagher became the third Spider to correctly enter Frickleton's notebook, his being the most stupid one following his petulant booting the ball away after disagreeing with a decision.

There then followed two moments of great Queen's play. The first came in the 79th minute from Tony Mitchell's route one long clearance from hand which John Gemmell controlled on the turn with world class skill before firing in a first time shot from 30 yards which Mathieson pushed away to his left for a corner at full stretch. Two minutes later, Danny Ferry floated in the perfect cross from the right and there was big John Gemmell to rise at the back post to power an unstoppable header past Mathieson and in off the underside of the bar at the postage stamp corner.

Gretna's best chance to take the game into injury time came two minutes from the end when Henney found himself clear with just Mitchell to beat, but his attempted chip from an acute angle wasn't quite cute enough and the Queen's 'keeper rose well to clutch the ball high above his head. Skinner was booked for dissent in the last minute seconds before Willie Martin headed narrowly over the bar from a Canning corner.

That should have been the end of the proceedings, but Rowan Alexander became the victim of his own stupidity (and self fulfilling media image) when he used his head dangerously when he challenged late for a high ball with Steven Moffat. A deserved booking quickly followed, although to be fair it wasn't for use of an elbow as Frickleton had incorrectly viewed it. As Alexander rather academically pointed out the error of Frickleton's ways, a second yellow card became a mere formality as did the red one which followed it to leave a rather and unnecessary sour taste at the end of what had been a hard fought but fairly contested cup tie. Gretna are a very tall and skilful side, and pre-season predictions that they will finish bottom of the Third Division looked well off the mark with a top 5 position potentially well within their capabilities.

Queen's reward in the 2nd round, if it can be called that, is an away tie at Forfar next Tuesday which will hardly have thrilled those hardy followers who will be making a quick return to Angus following Saturday's visit to Montrose on league business. In the opening game of last season, Queen's had looked out of touch as they were swept aside by the pace of the home side. Hopefully this win will have boosted the team's self belief and they can secure an unlikely away win to avoid getting themselves detached at the bottom of the table again.

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE : 4/5           STAR SPIDER : John Gemmell (already back to last season's best form)

QUEEN’S PARK : Tony Mitchell, Gordon Lappin (Danny Ferry - 46), John Gallagher, Steven Moffat, Damiano Agostini, Tony Quinn, Stuart Jack (Chris Fisher - 63), Johnny Whelan, John Gemmell, Stephen Canning, Jimmy Allan (Willie Martin - 71)

Subs (not used) : Stewart Thomson (GK), Paddy Gallagher

Scorer(s) : Canning (20 mins), Gemmell (81 mins)      Booked : Jack (59 - trip from behind), Moffat (62 - off the ball tugging of jersey), J. Gallagher (79 - kicking ball away)

GRETNA : David Mathieson, Ryan McGuffie, Gavin Skelton (Rowan Alexander - 63), Tommy Turner, David Hewson, Matthew Henney, Stephen Skinner, David Irons, Mark Dobie, John Hore, Wayne Gordon (Craig Smart - 24)

Subs (not used) : Vincent Parker (GK), Steven Rooke, Gary Wills

Scorer(s) : Dobie (65 mins)      Booked : Dobie (68 - raising hands at corner), Skinner (90 - dissent), Alexander (90 - dangerous use of head, then immediately sent off after receiving 2nd yellow card for dissent)

REFEREE : Ian Frickleton **  (* = inept, ** = poor, *** = mediocre, **** = good, ***** = excellent)