[DavidMc]

Gretna 1-3 Motherwell
Scottish Premier League
Saturday 16th February 08
Fir Park, Motherwell

Two goals from Ross McCormack helped Motherwell to a well-deserved win over fellow Fir Park tenants Gretna.
Chris Porter put Motherwell ahead after 25 minutes when a blocked Stephen Hughes shot fell kindly to him.

Well spurned several good chances before Ross McCormack doubled their lead with a well-taken finish two minutes into the second half.

Brendan McGill reduced the deficit after 50 minutes but McCormack's late strike clinched three points for Well.

The game got off to a slow start, with Darren Smith's speculative effort, which blazed over the bar, the only chance of any kind in the first 10 minutes.

The same player was prominent again after 12 minutes, weaving his way cleverly inside from the right wing and drilling a low diagonal shot towards the target.

But Artur Krysiak coolly smothered his effort close to the line.

Krysiak then had to leap to the left corner of the penalty area to claim a high ball ahead of Well striker McCormack.

Gretna came agonisingly close to taking the lead on 20 minutes.

Paul Quinn was short with a header as he tried to clear Kenny Deuchar's close-range effort.

And the ball fell straight to the feet of McGill, but his lob just sneaked over and onto the roof of the net.

Gretna gained confidence from their close shave and passed the ball well, but were soon hit by a sucker-punch.

Motherwell midfielder Stephen Hughes unleashed a shot from outside the box, and his effort deflected off a defender to the feet of Porter, who netted with a composed finish from six yards.

McCormack had another good chance just minutes later with a powerful near-post header from Quinn's cross from the right, but Krysiak again caught it safely.

Motherwell almost doubled their lead eight minutes from the break.

Smith went on an excellent run the full length of the pitch and his cross was teed up by Porter for McCormack, but the striker sent his effort just wide.

The second half was only two minutes old when the visitors took a two-goal lead.

Hughes long ball found McCormack in the box and the young forward shrugged off the Gretna defence to send a right-foot shot beyond the reach of Krysiak.

But Gretna hit back three minutes later when Mickael Buscher's probing cross was missed by the Motherwell defence and McGill tapped the ball home from underneath the right upright.

Smith was gifted possession just before the hour and raced to the edge of the box where Krysiak made the save.

Porter then smashed a drive off the bar and away to safety.

Gretna had a good claim for a penalty turned down with only five minutes to go before McCormack's second goal on 90 minutes quashed their hopes of a dramatic fightback.



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Gretna: Krysiak, Barr, Meynell (Makinwa 89), Hall, Naughton, Kissock (Baldacchino 70), McGill, Murray, Skelton, Buscher (Deverdics 74), Deuchar. Subs Not Used: Grant, Wilkinson, Schultz-Eklund, Griffiths.

Booked: Barr.

Goals: McGill 50.

Motherwell: Graeme Smith, Quinn, Craigan, Reynolds, Hammell, Darren Smith, Hughes (Lasley 69), Fitzpatrick, Clarkson, Porter (Lappin 83), McCormack. Subs Not Used: Daniels, Brian McLean, Maguire, Jamie Murphy, Archdeacon.

Booked: Clarkson.

Goals: Porter 25, McCormack 47, 90.

Att: 2,877