Season ends with misery

The season ended with defeat here at Fir Park tonight. Gavin Skelton netted the winner, curling home a beauty deep into stoppage time to spark joy in the home end of the main stand.

Hearts made one change from the side that lost to Kilmarnock on Saturday at the weekend with Jamie Mole coming in for Eggert Jonsson after bagging two goals in Robbie Neilson's testimonial on Sunday. The sun was out at Fir Park in what looked set to be a typical end of season affair. With both teams fate decided over a month ago you could be forgiven for thinking that there wasn't much to play for.

Both teams made a lively start to the half but it was Gretna who took the ascendancy, with Deveredics close to shooting the home side ahead from close range inside the first two minutes.

Jamie Mole then made a dashing run down the line and played an inviting ball across to the oncoming Cesnauskis who couldn't quite time his run for what would have been a tap in.

For a team who faced the possibility of having played their last game ever Gretna looked as though they had not a worry in the world and were sweeping the ball across the park. Nicky Deverdics found himself with space inside the box and mustered up a cracking shot on goal which zipped just inches wide of the post.

For an end of season tie it became quite a heated affair with Gavin Skelton lucky to escape a caution for a high tackle on Fernando Screpis. Not so much mercy however was to be shown to youngster Gary Glen who became embroiled in a scrap with Kyle Naughton and after what seemed to be a case of handbags Glen was adjudged to have elbowed Naughton and received his marching orders with barely 25 minutes if the game gone.

Gretna had already had the best chances of the match and now with an extra man they looked to capitalise on that advantage Craig Barr rose above the Hearts defence for what looked to be a goal bound header on 35 minutes but Steve Banks managed a superb low save.

As Hearts cleared they set up a chance of their own with the impressive Fernando Screpis sending a thunderbolt effort towards Fleming in the Gretna goal this time however the keeper also saved well.This seemed to spark Hearts into life and they found their rhythm in the run up to half time Deividas Cesnauskis was next to send a rocket towards Fleming's goal this time Cesnauskis's effort was just off target and went wide.

Gretna looked to have taken the lead on 43 minutes when Rostyn Griffiths went in at the near post with Steve Banks and Zaliukas and managed to squeeze the all between the keeper and the post, as the Gretna fans leapt in celebration the linesman's flag went into the air, it would have been no more than they deserved but Hearts rather fortuitously went in at half time at 0-0.

The second half also started lively and this time Hearts grabbed the better of the opening exchanges. Stewart and Screpis linked up well in the midfield before Screpis sent a lovely pass over the heads of the Gretna defence to land neatly in the path of Jamie Mole who couldn't quite control the shot enough and sent it high over the bar. The Argentine Screpis showcased again small glimpses of his talent, which we have seen in the past couple of matches.

For those who had doubted Hearts desire to win this match you only had to look at goalkeeper Steve Banks. Captain in Berra's absence Banks sent a long throw out after claiming the ball in his area, the ball went long and out of play and Banks was visibly irate at his effort for a good few minutes after the incident.

Gretna's attacks were not troubling Banks and for large periods of the second half it was end to end without any real threat. Jamie Mole again got him self into a great goal scoring position and this time saw his thunderous shot parried by substitute goalkeeper Krysiak. It was hard to remember at times that Hearts were a man down.

Marius Zaliukas looked to take a bad head knock midway through the second half and had to be stretchered from the field his replacement youngster Ryan McGowan made an almost instant impact with an inspired run right through the Gretna defence. His pass then released Kingston on the right and as he bore down on goal he fizzed the ball into the path of Ivaskevicius who merely had to make contact, which he did but somehow between Krysiak and his defender, Gretna kept it out.

The match attendance of 1090 just missed out on being Hearts lowest since 1981-82 season against Dumbarton at Boghead Park where just 998 fans turned out. Just when you thought it was safe to turn the lights off on a disappointing Hearts season, Gretna wonder man Gavin Skelton popped up just inside the box in the 93rd minute to curl the ball into the top corner past Steve Banks. That was it - season over. Hearts finish eighth in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

Gretna: Fleming (Krysiak 55); Griffiths, Barr, Skelton, Osman; Hall, Hogg (Taylor 84) , Naughton, Deverdics; Meynell, McGill. Subs not used: Murray, Fisher, Robinson, Sharples, Schultz-Eklund.

Hearts: Banks; Thomson, Karipidis, Zaliukas (McGowan 73), Wallace; Kingston, Stewart, Screpis (Palazuelos 69), Cesnauskis (Ivaskevicius 69); Mole, Glen. Subs not used: Ridgers, Goncalves, Husband, Rapnik.

Hearts World