Krul Debut In 4-0 Win!

Further goals from Pedro Moutinho and Russell Latapy after the interval sealed the fate of the Border club who, on this evidence, face a difficult season ahead.

The stands behind both goals were closed which added to the surreal nature of the occasion but, after this game, one stand may be enough to house the Borderers' supporters as the season goes on.

The SPL new boys, watched by 2,731 fans, began with predictable enthusiasm which gave them the edge in the early stages.

They might have taken the lead in the eighth minute when a slack pass from Falkirk defender Kenny Milne allowed Allan Jenkins to play a one-two with Colin McMenamin and find himself with Tim Krul to beat.

The new Bairns goalkeeper, signed on loan from Newcastle, saved the first attempt and from Fabian Yantorno's sclaffed effort from the rebound, Jack Ross took it off the line.

But in the 13th minute it was the visitors who opened the scoring with their first goal of the new league campaign.

Left-back Thomas Scobbie collected a Higdon pass down the left and when he whipped a cross in to the six-yard box, it was the Bairns striker who rose highest to head the ball past the helpless Greg Fleming.

Gretna had a chance to equalise soon afterward but again the opportunity was squandered. On a swift counter-attack, the speedy McMenamin easily forced his way past Ross and into the penalty area before his shot was blocked by the alert Krul.

However, with the 'keeper out of his goal the excitable Fabian Yantorno ballooned the rebound over the bar from the edge of the box.

In the 24th minute Falkirk deflated Gretna further when they doubled their lead.

Midfielder Steven Thomson's snap-shot from 15 yards cannoned off Fleming's cross bar and Higdon was first on the scene to place the rebound into the corner of the net.

Beleaguered Gretna had it all to do after the interval but nearly found themselves three behind after just two minutes of the restart.

Veteran Latapy's flighted free-kick found Higdon alone at the back post but this time the Falkirk striker had to stretch to get in a header which Fleming clutched from under the bar.

A remarkably open game, in which counter-attack followed counter-attack, added to the entertainment, as did the catalogue of unforced errors by either side.

But with Latapy and Patrick Cregg pulling the strings, the visitors looked the classier outfit.

On the hour mark Higdon should have had his hat-trick when Latapy played him through, but the big striker hit the side-netting from 12 yards with only Fleming to beat.

But after Krul made a fine double save, first from Yantorno and then from Jenkins, Latapy set up a third and clinching goal for the visitors.

A defence-splitting pass found Moutinho running clear and the Bairns striker composed himself before slotting the ball high into the net.

In the 73rd minute Krul again proved his worth with a fine save from McMenamin's powerful drive and seconds later Latapy poured salt into Gretna's wounds when he calmly took a Moutinho pass at the edge of the box before driving low past Fleming.

Latapy was immediately replaced by Roman Wallner who was booked on his debut along with Gretna defender Craig Barr before he had even touched the ball.

Gretna deserved a goal for their enthusiasm alone and went close in the 84th minute when Danny Granger beat Krul with a 30-yard free-kick only to see the ball rebound off the post before the Falkirk defence cleared the danger.

PREVIOUS NUMAD KRUL ARTICLE:

Krul Luck For Dutchman After Law Change 
 
Young Dutch keeper Tim Krul was looking for a taste of league action with Hartlepool United next season but his hopes could be dashed because of a law change.

Sam Allardyce: "The loan system has changed in the Football League this year, and has now converted to the same system we have to put up with, which is only year-long loans.

"You can't do any more emergency loans, or one, two or three-month loans.

"It means if I'm going to let a player go on loan, it's effectively a short-term transfer.

"There's no call-back or recall. And the last thing I want to do is leave myself short if anything happens - we've already got to try and get more players in to cover what we need.

"And to let players go out on loan would be very difficult this year unless the squad grows to the sort of size by the end of the transfer window that I'd feel a young player would develop better by having six months or a year on loan somewhere else.

"If you run into difficulties at the end of August, there's nothing you can do about it but use the players you have within your football club.

"That's why I think the transfer window is flawed."