Gretna 3-4 Dundee United

Barry Robson was on target for United

Dundee United made hard work of their Scottish Cup third round match against Gretna but edged through 4-3.

The Premier League side raced into a 3-0 lead after 19 minutes through Barry Robson, Mark Kerr and Mark Wilson.

Kenny Deuchar got one back five minutes before half-time, and a controversial Mark Birch penalty made it 3-2 two minutes into the second half.

Stevie Crawford made it 4-2 before a sensational strike from Gretna's Gavin Skelton set up a nailbiting finish.

Dundee United manger Ian McCall insisted the game was not as close as the result suggested.

He said: "It should have been five or six nothing at half time and the game would have been over.

We showed in the second half that if you get at them then they're not the cleverest Rowan Alexander Gretna manager

"I said on Saturday against Hearts that we could have been two or three up before we gave a goal away a minute before half time which lifted them.

"It was the same against Gretna. Mark missed his second penalty and James Grady and Stevie Crawford missed tap-ins and what do we do but give away a goal just before half time and that lifts Gretna.

"Fair play to them they came out in the second half and got the goal and it was tough after that.

"But even when they were 4-2 up we missed two or three great chances and then they scored with a 50-yard goal and we were hanging in there.

"Four-three doesn't sound comfortable but I thought it was."

Gretna pushed United all the way

Gretna manager Rowan Alexander insists he never feared a thrashing from their Premier League opponents despite going three goals behind so quickly.

The Third Division boss said: "I had firm belief in my players that we would rally round and come back into the game and that's exactly what we did.

"And I'm proud of them, they dug in - especially in the second half.

"But we didn't start the game properly the way we should do.

"We showed in the second half that if you get at them then they're not the cleverest.

"But we didn't do that in the first half and we allowed them to dictate.

"And when you set off teams of that calibre, regardless of whether they are bottom of the SPL, then they will punish you."

---

Gretna: Mathieson, Birch (Smith 82), Irons, Aitken, McQuilken, Baldacchino (Prokas 34), McGuffie, Gilfillan, Skelton, Bingham, Deuchar. Subs Not Used: Main, Wake, Grainger.

Booked: Mathieson, Aitken. Goals: Deuchar 41, Birch 49 pen, Skelton 62.

Dundee Utd: Bullock, Wilson, McCracken, Ritchie, Archibald, Kerr, Grady, McInnes, Robson (Mair 84), Crawford, McIntyre. Subs Not Used: Jarvie, Scotland, Brebner, Robertson.

Booked: McInnes, McIntyre. Goals: Robson 4, Kerr 7, Wilson 21 pen, Crawford 56.

Att: 3,000

Ref: C Richmond