STOP TALKING TOSH

RAGING Steve Tosh hit back at bigmouth boss Rowan Alexander for the diss that inspired Derry City to deal Gretna a Euro thrashing.

The Raydale boss heaped all the blame on his players after Thursday night's horror show by slamming them and insisting his tactics were sound.

But Tosh reckons Alexander blundered by belittling the Irish League outfit before the game, saying they were a team that could "easily survive" in the First Division.

Derry boss Stephen Kenny took that as a huge insult and made a point of highlighting it after watching his fired-up players put Gretna in their place with a 5-1 humbling.

Tosh insists Alexander should admit he got it wrong too and should be EMBARRASSED he gave their opponents such a strong motivation before kick-off.

Tosh said: "These boys aren't mere First Division players - just as on our day we are better than that.

"If that was a quote the person who said it should hold up his hands and feel embarrassed by it. But that certainly wasn't what we thought inside the dressing-room.

"I am not having a pop at the manager. He makes his statements and that's up to him but us boys knew different.

"You beat IFK Gothenburg but are only First Division material? If that's the case the First Division must be pretty good this year.

"The players would never disrespect anybody because we wouldn't want to be disrespected ourselves.

"I would have been disappointed if I had been tagged like that. I have worked all my days to get to the level I have - I've played in the SPL and wouldn't want to be tagged just as a First Division player.

"The players knew Derry were a good team. They did not lose a goal over two legs in the previous round to IFK Gothenburg, a name reeking of European success.

"Listen, we weren't coming here thinking we were going to get an easy ride.

"We found it comical that the bookies cut our odds after our win against Hamilton.

"No disrespect to Billy Reid's team but they were never going to be a patch on what those Derry boys would be like.

"We gave Derry MORE respect than wegave Hearts in the Scottish Cup final because we knew everything about how the Jambos would play.

While Tosh's comments could land him in hot water with his gaffer he deserves admiration for his honesty as the ONLY Gretna player willing to face the press after that humiliation.

And he was honest enough to own up to his own mistake at a crucial spell with the Fir Park game locked at 1-1 when a bad blunder by the Derry keeper handed Tosh a golden chance.

With the goal gaping Stevie opted to go for glory from a tight angle instead of crossing for James Grady rushing in.

But his effort was off target and hit the side net - costing him pelters from the striker.

Tosh admits that was a turning point but reckons even then Derry would probably have still finished the better team.

He said: "If I'd scored it might have changed the tie.

"If we'd gone in 2-1 at half-time our tails would have been up and maybe their manager would have had a pop at them.

"It was just a poor decision. I was coming off a hat-trick against Accies and if I'd squared the ball and it had been cleared I would have been cussed for that.

"I'll put my hands up. It was a mistake and we all make them.

"But the better team won. I knew Derry would be good but they were even better than I thought. You can only play as well as the other team lets you.

"People say Hearts didn't play well against us in the Cup Final but that's because we didn't allow them to perform to their best.

"In the same way we didn't reach our potential because Derry were better and didn't allow us to play. And they punished us.

"We have no excuses. It looks like the better team will go through in the tie."

After a two-year fairytale rise from obscurity through the divisions on their way to a cup final and Europe, harsh reality bites.

Gretna have not faced much negative press along the way and Tosh admits it's important that a squad all too used to having things their own way react positively to this setback.

He said: "It gives us a boot in the a**e and one in the b***s so now we will get on with it. If you like hearing the positive stuff about how great you are then you have to accept the other side of it.

"But it's not Gretna who build ourselves up - it's the press.

"We have never said we are this or that. We just try to go about our business in a good way.

"The big question is can we fight back? Will we take it on the chin and go to Clyde now and win?

"The Gretna bandwagon stops here as far as Europe is concerned but we can still be proud of the fact we got there.

"We'll go to Derry for the second leg and hopefully our fans will still travel, have a good time and be proud to be there.

"A successful Second Division club who started with nothing has now played in Europe - if you can't get excited about that nothing will do the trick.

"Given the result it is hard to say just now we have enjoyed this experience. But 10 years down the line we will be able to look back and be proud we got there."

Taken from the Sunday Mail