Defeat number 16 but Everton kid insists: Gretna can stay up
Last updated 13:05, Monday, 25 February 2008
EVERTON starlet John Paul Kissock insists he has no regrets about joining Gretna’s fight for SPL survival – even though he admits he didn’t realise the size of the task facing them when he agreed to his loan move.He said: “I had 20 minutes to make a decision on whether to come to Gretna the day before the transfer window closed.
SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Hearts 2 Gretna 0
The teenage bundle of energy turned in an outstanding performance on his debut and looks set for a starring role after Toffees boss Davie Moyes persuaded him to move north of the border to enhance his first-team prospects at Goodison Park.
It might have been a new-look team of rookies but it was still the same old story for Gretna after two first half goals, including a penalty, from Hearts top scorer Andrius Velicka condemned them to a 16th defeat of the season, which keeps them nine points adrift at the foot of the table.
In another all-too familiar hard luck story, the Borderers had defender Danny Hall sent off in the second half for two bookings and French defender Aurelien Collin limped off after just 23 minutes through injury.
But Kissock is refusing to write off his new club’s chances of a miracle escape and admitted he jumped at the chance to join them despite not realising Davie Irons’ side was enduring such a traumatic first season in Scotland’s top-flight.
“The gaffer called me into his office and asked if I wanted to go – and with it being such a good league I snapped his hand off.
“I did some homework on them when I got home – after I said yes. They’re nine points adrift but I still believe we can stay up.
“I’m up for the challenge because I want to try to keep Gretna in the SPL. We’ve two games in hand on Kilmarnock and I think we’ve a really good chance because we have to play them twice.
“David Moyes thought it was a really good idea that I joined Gretna so I went along with it and trusted him.
“I’ve come in here and the manager is fantastic – he’s a really, really good manager and there’s a great spirit within the team. It was very good experience coming into a side playing in one of the biggest leagues in the world, and I’m just disappointed we didn’t get anything from the game.”
The 18-year-old, who was taunted all afternoon by Hearts fans who shouted “Big Issue” because of his wild curly hair, knows he faces a formidable task to break into Everton’s team of Champions League hopefuls.
But he hopes some glowing reports from Gretna will see him make the big breakthrough.
He said: “Everton have built such a good team with fantastic players like Mikel Arteta, Manuel Fernandes and Andy Johnson. I’ve only just turned 18 so I’ve still got a lot to prove to the Everton manager.
“Next year I’m really going to push and give the manager a selection problem. The manager has plans for me but I have to keep those plans in his mind and coming up here and proving myself in the SPL will be the best way to do that.”
Kissock was joined in Saturday’s team by fellow new-boys Rostyn Griffiths, Kyle Naughton and Danny Hall, who were given a brutal introduction to SPL life.
The whole team looked like it had just been introduced before kick off, and it is clearly going to take time for so many new arrivals to gel.
Velicka nearly scored after two minutes when he rounded keeper Greg Fleming but fired into the side-netting.
Sixty seconds later the Lithuanian fired Hearts ahead when he collected a great pass from Michael Stewart and fired home a fierce left-foot shot from just inside the box.
Gretna’s sole effort in the whole game came on 14 minutes when Kissock fed Gavin Skelton and his excellent chip found Kenny Deuchar, but he headed over from close-in.
Hearts made it 2-0 on 41 minutes when Hall sent Velicka crashing to the deck and ref Charlie Hall pointed to the spot.
Velicka picked himself up and gave Fleming no chance, scoring his 14th goal of the season. Hall was booked and was later sent packing for a rash challenge on Audrius Ksanavicius.
Gretna’s frustration was summed up when there was an angry exchange of views between Irons and defender Chris Innes, but Kissock’s performance will have provided a glimmer of hope on another grim day for the Borderers.
MATCH STATS
HEARTS: Banks, Berra, Palazuelos, Velicka, Neilson, Karipidis, Ksanavicius (Elliot, 76), Stewart (McCann, 84), Goncalves, Cesnauskis (Mikoliunas, 69), Driver. Subs (not used): Basso, Wallace, Zaliukas and Beniusis.
GRETNA: Fleming, Naughton, Hall, Collin (Barr, 23), Innes, Griffiths (Meynell, 58), Murray (Wilkinson, 78), Skelton, Buscher, Deuchar, Kissock, Subs: Krysiak, McGill, Deverdics and Makinwa.
REFEREE: Charlie Richmond
CROWD: 16,130
SENT OFF: Danny Hall (two bookings)
BOOKINGS: Murray and Naughton (fouls)
STAR MAN: John Paul Kissock – Bundle of energy, whose pace, skill and movement made him a real handful for the Hearts defence.
KEY MOMENT: Defender Danny Hall’s sending off for a second yellow card on 64 minutes meant Gretna were going to be up against it for the rest of the second half.
BOSS TALK
DAVIE IRONS, Gretna: “I’m disappointed. We’ve a relatively new side on the pitch and we lost an early goal which didn’t allow us to get a foothold in the game. The second goal killed us. Credit to the players they kept going even when we lost Danny Hall.”
STEVIE FRAIL, Hearts: “That’s three clean sheets in three league games and we need to keep it going. It would have been great for Velicka to get a hat-trick but I’m just delighted with three points.”
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