WE MADE IT SP HELL FOR CYNICS SAYS JOHN

JOHN O'NEIL has praised his Gretna team-mates for helping to put half the SPL to shame.

The Raydale Park club silenced the critics with a stunning show as they took Hearts to penalties in the Scottish Cup Final.

The cynics reckoned Gretna were on to a hammering in the run-up to the end-of-season showpiece and even questioned the fact they will go on to represent Scotland in the UEFA Cup next season.

But veteran midfielder O'Neil, who won the second-half penalty that took the game to its dramatic conclusion, believes his team wiped the smug grins off the critics'faces by pushing the SPL runners-up all the way.

He said: "There are a number of SPL clubs who should take a wee leaf out our books when it comes to finals and try to be as positive as we were against Hearts.

"I've seen a lot of SPL teams come to the National Stadium against bigger clubs and fold or defend in huge numbers, but we didn't do any of that. We at least played three up when we were a goal down in the second half.

"As the game went into penalties I thought it was our destiny to win the Cup, especially as Hearts' main penalty taker Paul Hartley had just been sent off.

"It's amazing it came down to spot-kicks. I'm not saying it's an unfair way to decide a match but on another day we probably could have won it.

"The five boys who volunteered to take the penalties deserve great credit because as soon as Davie Irons pulled out his notebook at the end of extra-time he had five names. Davie didn't even have to ask."

O'Neil would ordinarily have rushed to put his name on the list but admitted he was knackered after an energy-sapping 120 minutes.

He said:"I ran my heart out but there was no point holding myself back. I tired as the game moved into extra-time and the gaffer shoved me into a hole in midfield, but that's to be expected at my age."

At 34, and with his deal due to expire in the summer, O'Neil admits his chances in playing in more major finals have all but gone. He has now lost four with four different clubs - St Johnstone in the League Cup and Dundee United, Hibs and Gretna in the Scottish.

O'Neil added: "I went out with a bang today in cup finals. It has been a case of so near yet so far, but I count myself lucky to have played in so many."

Taken from the Daily Record