Gretna's fairytale comes to sad end

Gretna 0

Falkirk 4

Half-time: 0-2

Att: 2,731

Bedding down in the Scottish Premier League could be a rough experience for Gretna. The newly promoted side were stripped of much of their dignity yesterday and also found themselves embroiled in a messy divorce battle with Rowan Alexander.

The man who claims he is still Gretna's manager was not allowed across the threshold when he turned up at Fir Park with his lawyer. The Gretna fans who made the 160-mile round trip to their home for the season must have wished they had been turned away too after Michael Higdon's double and goals from Pedro Moutinho and Russell Latapy ensured a rout.

Gretna's rise through the divisions since being admitted to the Scottish League in 2002 has been a football fairytale. A touch of romance, say their admirers; simply filthy capitalism, according to their critics, because millionaire owner Brooks Mileson has bankrolled the journey to the SPL. Mileson has not spent as freely this summer, but then he has to fork out a season's rent to Motherwell for the use of Fir Park for home games, because Gretna's 6,000-capacity Raydale Park does not meet top-flight criteria.

Alexander, the club's former manager whose five-year tenure ended during the summer after he was told to take a leave of absence, insists he is still under contract. "There is nothing wrong with me," Alexander said in a statement issued after he and his lawyer made a carefully orchestrated appearance at the front entrance to Fir Park and were turned away.

Alexander wanted to lead the Gretna team out but that role was taken by Davie Irons, who has been his assistant throughout the entire Gretna journey.

One of Irons' new recruits, Fabian Yantorno, is a player on whom Gretna are pinning their hopes in the elite. The Uruguayan had a great chance to score after nine minutes when a swift counterattack saw Allan Jenkins denied by the Falkirk goalkeeper Tim Krull, and then Jack Ross cleared Yantorno's follow-up off the line. But the ruthless touch needed in the SPL was illustrated by Falkirk five minutes later. Thomas Scobbie's fine cross from the left was perfect for Michael Higdon to attack, and the former Crewe striker planted an angled header beyond Greg Fleming.

It was a huge psychological blow for the newcomers but they refused to wilt, and ought to have restored parity in the 22nd minute when Colin McMenamin shredded Kenny Milne. Krull came to the rescue, blocking the shot, but Yantorno should have found the net with the rebound instead of the crowd.

Falkirk punished that profligacy two minutes later when Higdon scored again. Steven Thomson's curling shot hit the underside of the bar and Higdon pounced to stab the ball past Fleming. Midway through the second half Kenny Deuchar released Yantorno, who was floored by the advancing Krull, though no penalty was given. Falkirk went straight up the pitch and Latapy found Moutinho, whose deft shot curled beyond Fleming from the edge of the box.

Things got worse in the 74th minute when Falkirk added a fourth. This time Moutinho rolled the ball back into the path of Latapy and he swept a raking 20-yard shot into the net.

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