“The end is nigh,” was Mick Wadsworth’s solemn conclusion, after the Gretna caretaker manager was asked for his prophesy on the likely future of the Borders club. He was, of course, referring to the seemingly imminent extinction of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League’s bottom club.

Gretna FC will cease to exist should they fail to find a buyer by Saturday. However, Wadsworth’s steady handling of the stricken vessel has ensured that, on the playing field at least, the small club that once chased lofty dreams will die with dignity intact. At Love Street on Saturday, they avoided defeat for the fourth time in five games, an impressive achievement for a patchwork side, largely made up of loaned players, without a recognised striker on their books.

The aberration of a 6-1 defeat at Inverness Caledonian Thistle was put to bed with a performance of resilience to secure another creditable, if uneventful, draw against a St Mirren team bursting with confidence after consecutive victories. Gretna will play their final game of the season, or possibly ever, tomorrow evening against Heart of Midlothian in what is sure to be an emotional affair. The Scottish Premier League’s embarrassing handling of the Gretna issue aside; it remains a community club, close to the hearts of many in the Borders region.

Principally affected will be the players, backroom staff and all those other members of staff who were caught by an irresistible wave optimism before being left marooned on the rocks. Kyle Naughton, the impressive 19-year-old full-back who arrived on loan from Sheffield United in January, has watched the Gretna debacle unravel at close quarters, but he praised the efforts of his teammates in ensuring the club goes down fighting.

“I’m not too sure how the other lads are coping with it off the pitch, but they have been doing the business on it,” Naughton said. “We’ve managed a lot of draws recently and, apart from the result in Inverness, have played pretty well. For me, it’s different, because I can go back to Sheffield, but there are a lot of good quality players here so I’m sure they will find clubs.”

For St Mirren, the lowest-scoring side in the league, Saturday was another afternoon of missed opportunities. Franco Miranda, the Argentinian left-midfield player, spurned the first of the match, blasting over from close range midway through the opening half before Craig Dargo failed to convert from two one-on-one chances later in the game.

Considering Gretna’s plight, John Potter, the defender, was, perhaps, a little too forgiving when he praised his side for securing another clean sheet.“We have been doing well, defensively, of late,” he said. “We defend as a team and, if we can start attacking as a team, we’ll be all right.”

St Mirren (4-3-3): M Howard 6 – D Barron 6, W Haining 7, J Potter 6, R McCay 6 (sub: S McGinn, 60min, 6) – F Miranda 6, G Mason 7, A Dorman 8 – B Mehmet 7, C Dargo 6 (sub: S Kean, 85), J Hamilton 7 (sub: S O’Donnell, 60 6). Substitutes not used: G Smith, G Brady, C Molloy, M McAusland. Booked: Hamilton.

Gretna (4-5-1): G Fleming 6 – C Barr 6, R Meynell 5, D Hall 6, K Naughton 7 – G Skelton 7, N Deverdics 7, P Murray 6 (sub: S Hogg, 75), B McGill 6, A Osman 5 – B Wilkinson 4 (sub: R Griffiths, 59 4). Substitutes not used: A Krysiak, S Hogg, J Sharples, N Taylor, D Robin-son, E Schultz-Eklund. Booked: Osman.

Referee W Collum
Attendance 3,163