STEPHEN SULLIVAN

If only Gretna were as resilient and robust-looking off the park as they currently appear on it, the club's anxious employees would breathe a lot easier. Inevitably, however, a third successive match without defeat was once again overshadowed by predictions that the club could fold inside a fortnight.

Not that caretaker manager, Mick Wadsworth, was any the wiser. "I've not spoken to anyone from the administrators in over two weeks," he said. "It will get worrying again soon as I'd imagine salaries will cease from something like the 17th or 18th of May."

For now, with Gretna going into every game fearing it could be their last, there is a morbid fascination in wondering if this is the Saturday on which a depressing piece of Scottish football history is made - but not even Killie's kids for a quid' campaign could tempt many of the Ayrshire public to come in from the spring sunshine.

When Tim Clancy's studs stuck awkwardly in the turf on 16 minutes, his cry of agony reverberated through the near-empty stands. The Irishman's match was over - a suspected broken fibula the outcome.

David Fernandez broke the deadlock 11 minutes into the second half. Danny Invincibile's cutback was side-footed towards goal by Iain Flannigan. Artur Krysiak could only push the ball clear to Fernandez, who gleefully accepted the gift.

Yet going behind ultimately did Gretna a massive favour. The visitors surged forward in search of an equaliser, with John Paul Kissock, on loan from Everton, leading the charge.

With 14 minutes remaining, Craig Barr rose to meet a Gavin Skelton corner and when the ball rebounded back off the junction of post and bar, the defender volleyed home the rebound.