GRETNA 2008 suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Civil Service Strollers at a sun-drenched Raydale Park last Saturday in the Lowland League.
Speaking after the match, Anvils boss Vinnie Parker could not fault the effort shown by his squad throughout the 90 minutes, despite falling to defeat.
He said: “The effort from everybody was absolutely tremendous. I thought we were brilliant. Take the scoreline out of that and the performance was exactly what we had hoped for.
“I thought we were really good, right up until the final third where it just didn’t quite click at times.
“The two goals we lost are pretty disappointing, but if we’re being honest the first goal is a great delivery and the second is a carbon copy with the delivery.
“I just feel bad for the players with the scoreline, but it’s fine margins once again in this league.”
Gretna got off to a flyer, taking the lead in the first minute through Reece Paterson who finished from close range.
But the Edinburgh outfit equalised before the interval, through Matthew Shaw, and took the lead in the 73rd minute when Mackenzie Scott found the net.
Parker was full of praise for his striker, he added: “One of Reece’s great strengths is sniffing out opportunities in the six yard box. He was very unlucky, maybe 10-15 minutes after that, not to score again.
“If you put the ball in the six yard box he’s generally there. It was a great ball in from Sam and it’s a great goal.”
Two games remain in the league, and the penultimate fixture takes place tomorrow afternoon away to East Stirlingshire.
The Black and Whites are targeting six points from their final two matches.
Parker said: “I’ve never seen the Lowland League as tight. It is ridiculously tight, everybody’s capable of beating each other.
“I’m looking at getting maximum points out of the next two games, Stirling Uni are a point in front of us and that’s the aim – to catch them.
“It (the Falkirk Stadium) is the best place to go to in my opinion. It’s the best stadium in the league and the best pitch in the league.
“Hopefully we can fill the bus and support the lads to try and get three points.”
