TOMMY SHERIDAN, were you watching? Your “boys” took a hell of a beating. The Scottish Socialist MSP acclaimed his court success last week by declaring it was like Gretna beating Real Madrid.

Forget the Bernebeu, the Brandywell is as far as the Scottish first division side will get in Europe. Rowan Alexander’s side were crushed at Fir Park last night by an avalanche of spectacular Derry City goals as the Uefa Cup second qualifying round effectively ended after the first leg.

Over 6,000 supporters came to Fir Park but the team whose motto was “Living The Dream” last season were pronounced dead, despite Ryan McGuffie marking their European baptism by putting Gretna in front after 12 minutes.

Kevin Deery and Ciaran Martin both struck spectacular doubles for Derry, who had eliminated IFK Gothenburg of Sweden in the previous round, to the acclaim of the raucous Irish support. For Gretna, it was an Irish wake.

This was Gretna’s reward for reaching the Tennent’s Scottish Cup final against Heart of Midlothian last May and it was all the more satisfying for the supporters with the presence of Brooks Mileson, the Borders club’s millionaire owner, whose ill-health confined him to hospital. Mileson’s blood pressure must have shot through the roof after 12 minutes when his team took the lead.

A free kick from the halfway was launched by Martin Canning for the head of the towering Kenny Deuchar, whose knockdown was touched into the run of McGuffie, bursting into the box, and the midfield player showed composure to plant a left-foot finish beyond David Forde, the goalkeeper.

The outpouring of Gretna joy could have been heard all the way back down the M74 in the wedding town and the pace of James Grady and McGuffie began to unsettle the visitors.

However, Sean Hargan hinted at a response from Derry when his volley flew too high and the Irish side restored parity in the 23rd minute.

A clever free kick from Peter Hutton saw him shape to hit the ball to the right flank, but he then switched direction and when Hargan’s cross came in from the left, Gretna were distracted as Darren Kelly appeared to thump a firm header past Alan Main.

Gretna were unnerved and the confidence visibly drained from Alexander’s side. But they ought to have restored their lead in the 37th minute when Steve Tosh chased a long ball and pounced when Forde slipped on the far side of the box. Tosh only had to clip the ball across for the waiting Deuchar or Grady but instead tried to finish from an acute angle and only found the sidenet.

The true cost of Tosh’s profligacy came back to haunt Gretna in a period of four minutes early in the second half when Deery produced two venomous strikes that ripped the heart out of the Scottish first division side.

Deery put Derry ahead in the 54th minute after Chris Innes’s foul on Stephen O’Flynn allowed him to measure a 25-yard free kick that curled over the wall and into the top corner, leaving Main with no chance.

It is doubtful if the goalkeeper even saw Deery’s second goal. The Ireland under-19 cap clubbed the ball with such force from 35 yards, after Caning headed Kevin McHugh’s cross, that it was a blur as it sped to the roof of the net.

Alexander opted for boldness and withdrew one of his central defenders, Derek Townsley, for an attacking midfield player in Allan Jenkins. However, the tie was over when Martin danced past three tackles, and then Main, before rifling in his shot.

It was all about damage limitation for Gretna after that, but Martin was in no mood to comply. He scored his second in the 74th minute, after yet another weaving run before thrashing a shot high past Main from the edge of the box.

GRETNA (3-5-2): A Main — M Canning, C Innes, D Townsley (sub: A Jenkins, 58min) — B McGill (sub: J O’Neil, 46), R McGuffie, S Tosh, G Skelton, J McQuilken — K Deuchar (sub: D Graham, 73), J Grady. Substitutes not used: D Mathieson, M Birch, D Nicholls, N McFarlane. Booked: Innes.

DERRY CITY (4-4-2): D Forde — E McCallion, P Hutton, D Kelly, S Hargan — K Deery, B Molloy (sub: R Higgins, 75), C Martin, S O’Flynn (sub: P McCourt, 72) — G Beckett (sub: G McGlinn, 83), K McHugh. Substitutes not used: P Jennings, C Delaney, K Oman, M Farren.

Referee: M Strahonja (Croatia).