retired_brianrt

Scottish 2nd Division
Gretna 3-0 Dumbarton
Scorers: Baldacchino, Grady (2)

Simon was back by my side after his attack, and the team really needed a lift. This was what gave it to them, and I let Si give the team talk before the game. It worked a treat becuase we were 3 up inside half an hour, and it would have been nice to score more and make a better goal difference to put pressure on Partick, but we took our foot off the gas in the 2nd half.

retired_brianrt

"It good to have you back Simon. You gave the lads a much needed boost and we got the win we really neede after a couple of draws. By the way, did you get any idea of a face of you attacker?"

"Nope, he had a balaclava on. He was big though, around 6'4 or 6'5 and well built. He gripped me like I was a little kid"

"Well it has to be linked with Dale. They have got you, got Dale so now they have to be after me. I've told Fiona to go and stay with her mum for a bit back in Manchester, till things cool off"

"Good idea that boss, very good idea"

retired_brianrt

Scottish 2nd Division
Gretna 3-2 Raith
Scorers: Tosh, Deuchar, Baldacchino

Ryan Baldacchino seems to have found his scoring boots at the back end of the season, and has chipped in with some timely goals, and he popped up with the winner here in the 83rd minute to give us all 3 valuable points. Make or break time. We had to win our last game and hope that Morton got a result against Partick.

retired_brianrt

Scottish 2nd Division
Gretna 0-1 Alloa
Scorers:

Our worst peformance of the season by a mile. We were cap, and we couldn't string more than 3 passes together. Alloa deserved to win by more and credit them for not handing us the 3 points. It wouldn't have mattered becuase Partick went 3 up inside half an hour, although 2 second half Morton goals gave them a scare. We have to go through the playoffs now.

retired_brianrt

The final table looked like this:
<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> 1 Partick 36 27 7 2 +67 882 Gretna 36 26 6 4 +51 843 Morton 36 20 10 6 +33 704 Raith 36 17 6 13 +5 575 Forfar 36 11 12 13 -7 45</pre>

retired_brianrt

Scottish 1st Division Relegation Playoff, semi-Final 1st Leg
Gretna 3-0 Morton
Scorers: Deuchar (2), Graham

We almost certainly assured our path into the final, unless something goes drastically wrong. I had to make the difficult decision to rest a not fully fit Baldacchino, and play David Graham on the right hand side. It worked a treat, because he scored the vital 3rd goal. If we had gone in at 2-0 then they would still have had a sniff but 3 goals ahead almost guaranteed us our plce in the final.

retired_brianrt

"I think we are near enough assured Si, I think I might rest a few for the final"

"Alright boss, but not too many. We still got to do our stuff, becuase if they get 2 early goals we are in with fight on our hands"

"We are anyway Si, they wont roll over and die"

retired_brianrt

Scottish 1st Division Relegation Playoff, Semi-Final 2nd leg
Gretna 1-1 Morton
Scorers: Deuchar

With both teams pretty certain of the outcome this was not a pretty game, and a much changed Gretna side (only Deuchar, Graham and Hannah were regular starters) was able to hold out for an ordinary 1-1 draw. This means Gretna advance through to the final to play Ross County, who finished 9th in the 1st Division this season.

retired_brianrt

"Right lads, this is it! One game to make or break our season. We've worked so hard for this, now lets get out there and show these lot what we can do. We deserve to go up, you know it and I know it, so lets prove it. Come on the Black and Whites!"

"...and the teams enter the Hampden Park pitch to a roar of approval from the fans, with this 1st Division Playoff final about to get underway..."

retired_brianrt

Scottish 1st Division Relegation Playoff Final
Hampden Park, Glasgow
Gretna vs Ross County

We started the game in great fashion, Ryan Baldacchino making 3 runs down the right hand side in the first 8 minutes. He whipped a cross in from the 2nd run, which fell to Juanjo at the back post, but somehow he was blocked by a desperate last-ditch tackle. There was a little 15 minut period where Ross County started to come into the game a little bit, but then we showed our brilliance with a magnificent team goal. Tom Heaton rolled the ball to David Lilley, who played a fabulous 60 yard crossfield ball to Muirhead. Muirhead took on 2 defenders, got to the by-line and whipped a cross in low and hard. It fell to Kenny who had his back to goal, but he turned and rolled it into the path of Ryan Baldacchino who was steaming in on the right hand-side. Ryan hit a sweet right footed shot which flew into the bottom corner, and gave us the lead after 27 minutes. We had a couple more chances but it stayed 1-0 at half-time. I felt we had to be strong in midfield, as Ross County would come back at us, but in the 2nd half they started very limp, almost as if they were already beaten. We didn't get a chance until the 64th minute, but David Bingham took it really well, playing a neat 1-2 with Scott Muirhead and placing a left footed shot into the goal. 2-0, and we had a cushion now. This seemed to wake County up, and they started to really come at us and for a good 15 or 20 minute spell they looked like forcing their way back into the match. However, the match was complaetely done and dusted after 86 minutes. David Bingham broke free of the defence, and with only the goalkeeper to beat, cooly rounded him and slotted it home. Gretna would be playing 1st division football next season. YES!!!