This was the result everyone at Islecroft has been waiting for all season. The performance level from the team this term has been very good, bar one or two, but the results haven’t matched them. Like the Edinburgh University match, this was one of the few games we have had so far, where we have played teams at a similar level to ourselves. This in itself could have put added pressure on the players, but they coped with that no problem and ran out very good winners and could easily have won by a greater margin.
Star rolled up to Raydale Park knowing they had never won a league match there, but they were determined to blow that record out of the water. They began well and in the 5th minute Declan Tremble turned well at the edge of the box but his shot produced a fine save from home keeper Cameron Copland. However just two minutes later and Star took the lead when Tremble was tripped inside the box by Daniel Martins and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Steven Degnan sent Copland the wrong way from 12 yards and the Islecroft side were well on their way. Star was well in control and their dominance was rewarded midway through the half when they were awarded another penalty kick. This time it was Lee Wells who was fouled and again the ref pointed straight to the spot where Degnan made no mistake to make it 2-0.
The home side were struggling badly to make any impression on the Star defence and manager Chris Humphreys would have been happy to get his team in at the interval with his side just two goals behind. Whatever he said to them during the break worked as within six minutes of the re-start they were sensationally back on level terms. Both goals came from Star not dealing with a couple of corners and centre back Daniel Martins headed past Vinnie Parker to pull one back and barely a minute later Dean Makunike pounced on a loose ball in the Star area and shot high into the net to bring Gretna right back into the match. This was a huge blow to Star despite them dominating, so the home side quite rightly had their tales up and must have fancied taking all three points. But for this awkward ten minute spell at the start of the second half, Star virtually controlled the match. They took these setbacks in their stride and they were soon back in the lead. Degnan completed his hat trick with a superb goal as he turned brilliantly at the edge of the box and fired high past Copland from 18 yards. This was the first Star league hat-trick since Tommy Muir netted three away to University of Stirling in March 2018. The points were sealed in the 72nd minute when substitute Phil Middlemiss headed home Connor Grahams cross and Star cruised through to the end of the match. Hat-trick hero Steven Degnan will quite rightly receive the majority of plaudits for this result, but this was a performance where everyone one of the players played their part.
This was a huge victory for Star but one we must look to build on. We now have a three week break with a couple of cup ties coming up. Our next league match is a home match against Vale of Leithen and victory would open up a healthy nine point gap over the Borders side. However we cannot take anything for granted and know we will have to be at our best to take the points. Next up is a trip to Broadwood on Friday night, a ground where we haven’t yet scored, so this would be a good time to break that hoodoo. After that is the first round of the William Hill Scottish Cup with Gala visiting Islecroft. These are exciting times for the club and if the team can continue to convert the good performances into victories, then the only way is up.
GRETNA FC 2008 2 DALBEATTIE STAR 4
Martins (50) Degnan (7pen, 23pen, 57)
Makunike (51) Middlemiss (72)
HT 0-2 Att 162
GRETNA FC 2008: Copland, Gueu (Smales 46), Wadge, Dickinson (Trialist 74), Martins, Jackson, Makunike, Koroma, Connelly, Mata, Rogers (Demar 49)
Subs not used: Patrick, Watson, Neto, Brown
Yellow Cards: Wadge,
DALBEATTIE STAR: Parker, Park, Thorburn, Cowie (Fergusson 64), R Thomson, Wilson, Graham, Wells (Kerr 85), Tremble (Middlemiss 68), Sloan, Degnan
Subs not used: Green, O’Sullivan
Yellow Cards: Degnan
Ref L Wilson
Assistants K Whalen & E Pow

Photos courtesy of Bobby Geddes.