Dalbeattie Star 2 Gretna FC (2008) 5

S.L.F.L. Cup

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.