Last updated 13:18, Monday, 25 February 2008

DOCTOR GOALS forgot all about his bedside manner as he slammed referee Alan Freeland for a controversial decision which left Gretna facing up to another all-too familiar hard-luck story.

Kenny Deuchar was furious after Gretna were denied what looked like a stonewall penalty when the part-time medic was blatantly shoved in the back by Motherwell defender Stephen Craigan as they pressed for an equaliser after Brendan McGill’s goal gave them a lifeline.

Under-fire whistler Freeland - at the centre of a storm in midweek when St Mirren wanted him axed from their Scottish Cup tie with Dundee United because of a previous bust-up with Buddies boss Gus MacPherson - waved away penalty appeals and moments later Motherwell put the game beyond doubt with their third goal.

Deuchar, a big, swashbuckling targetman, reckons he’s a marked man for referees who are all too willing to pull him up for fouls - but can’t understand why it’s all one way.

Deuchs stormed: “I thought I had about four or five shouts for a penalty. Motherwell had one man fouling me and another man standing next to me going for the ball.

“The referee gave a token gesture free kick on the edge of the box for what I wouldn’t have considered much of a foul.

“I went up to head the ball and the boy has blatantly pushed me in the back, but that’s apparently not a penalty.

“They were trying to get my shirt before the end of the game.

“I don’t understand why I get so many fouls given against me when I’m going for the ball. I’m not interested in wanting to go for the defender. They’re always trying to bump me and try to stop me getting the ball, but I get penalised all the time. It gets frustrating at times.”

As they trudged away from Fir Park on Saturday night, Gretna were entitled to be feeling a little sore at the manner in which they were condemned to their 18th defeat of the season which leaves them nine points adrift at the foot of the SPL table and running out of time to save themselves.

To add insult to injury, Freeland snubbed boss Davie Irons’ request to give an explanation on his controversial decision, which could mean this latest row will run and run if Gretna’s head coach decides to report the referee for his post-match conduct.

It was another perfect example of when you’re down on your luck, you don’t get the breaks or the rub of the green.

The penalty incident aside, Gretna must also take a look closer to home for explanations as to why lost this clash between landlords and tenants.

Their rookie defence, which was admittedly patched-up because of the absence of injured central defenders Chris Innes and Aurelien Collin, looked absolutely out of its depth in the SPL and all three Motherwell goals could be blamed on woeful defending.

With keeper Greg Fleming suspended, Irons handed a debut to on-loan Birmingham City keeper Artur Krysiak and the 18-year-old Pole was quickly called into action to deny Darren Smith.

Motherwell boss Mark McGhee was the master of understatement when he described it as an “untidy” game as the first half was the sort of grim battle which would have the purists running for the hills.

Some of the attempts on goal from both sides were so erratic they ended up going out for throw-ins by the corner flags, and the ball spent more time in the air than on the deck because of the disgraceful state of the Fir Park as a result of the groundshare arrangement. McGhee was at least spot on with his assessment of the pitch when he described it as “embarrassing.”

Brendan McGill, playing his first game for nearly three months, nearly crowned his return to duty by giving his side an early lead.

The former Carlisle United winger seized on a poor headed clearance by Paul Quinn on 21 minutes, but his lob ended up on the roof of the net and Gretna paid the price for the miss when Motherwell took the lead five minutes later.

Stephen Hughes’ shot deflected off McGill into the path of Chris Porter who smashed the ball home from close in. But there was more then a whiff of good fortune about Well’s opener as the tall former Oldham Athletic striker appeared to be off-side when the ball fell to him.

Gretna didn’t buckle and dug in as they went in search of an equaliser, with on-loan Everton starlet John Paul Kissock and midfielder Gavin Skelton both blasting over.

But they paid the price for more poor defending which enabled Motherwell to double their advantage within two minutes of the re-start when Hughes’ long ball fell to Ross McCormack, who slipped the ball past Krysiak.

As so often this season, finding themselves with a mountain to climb spurred Gretna into action as they desperately attempted to salvage something.

Three minutes later they were back in it with Kissock finding Mickael Buscher on the left.

The French midfielder’s low delivery across the face of goal found the unmarked McGill and he stabbed the ball home.

Suddenly, it was an exciting, nail-biting spectacle as Gretna sensed they could get something out of it and Motherwell desperately attempted to avoid throwing it away.

Krysiak did well to deny Porter, before the Well striker saw another effort ricochet off the bar. David Clarkson’s angled drive then flashed across goal as yet again the Gretna defence was easily unlocked.

The biggest cheer of the afternoon was reserved for forgotten man Ryan Baldacchino, who was brought off the bench to try to turn the game in Gretna’s favour - and the winger made an instant impact with a beautifully-struck free kick which Well keeper Graeme Smith did well to tip over.

Fellow sub Nicky Deverdics twice went close as Gretna threw everything at Motherwell - but Irons’ men were crushed by the controversial penalty incident on 88 minutes. A minute later, McCormack scored his second of the game to put them game beyond Gretna’s reach after the defence failed to deal with a long punt up field from Smith. The sight of the grounded Craig Barr lying on the pitch with his head in hands summed up a wretched afternoon for the Gretna defence.

The win put Motherwell into a UEFA Cup spot. It left Gretna in a spot of bother in more ways than one.

MATCH FACTS

Gretna: Krysiak, Naughton, Meynell (Makinwa, 88), Hall, Barr, Murray, Skelton, McGill, Buscher (Deverdics, 70), Deuchar, Kissock (Baldacchino, 71), subs: Grant, Griffiths, Wilkinson and Shultz-Eklund.

Bookings: Barr (foul) and Clarkson (foul)

Crowd: 2,877

STAR MAN: Gavin Skelton - On an afternoon when no one really stood out for Gretna, the midfield grafter put in his usual 100 per cent effort. Carved out several chances for himself but couldn’t keep his shots on target.

KEY MOMENT: Under-fire whistler Alan Freeland was the only man in the ground to miss Stephen Craigan’s blatant shove on Gretna striker Kenny Deuchar on 88 minutes. He dismissed Gretna’s penalty appeals, denying them the chance of an equaliser.

BOSS TALK:

Davie Irons, Gretna: “It’s very hard to take when you look at the circumstances of the way the game went. We got ourselves back into the game and we looked like the team which was going to get the next goal until certain individuals influenced the game.”

Mark McGhee, Motherwell: “It was an untidy game. We could just as easily have drawn the game, but we needn’t be embarrassed about winning it.”