Selkirk 0

Gretna 8

By Callum Hodgson

at Yarrow Park

HIBERNIAN legend Gordon Rae faces the toughest task of his distinguished footballing career.

The 60-year-old, who played more than 300 games for the Hibees, took over at Yarrow Park on Tuesday night.

And just 24 hours later he was entering the Selkirk dugout for the first time – without even knowing any of the players' names.

To make matters worse, the gaffer only had ten men available – which included three trialists.

But Gretna showed no mercy and put eight goals past the hard-working Souters who didn't give up.

After the whistle, Rae said: "We were suffering from the start. We really have to look at ourselves.

"There are guys who are giving their all and we have got other players who don't even want to turn up or tell us what is going on.

"In all my days, and I have played 500 to 600 league games, this is the first time I couldn't really do a team talk.

"I didn't know any of the players' names – we were still sorting out positions for them on the team sheet [in the dressing room].

"It was an absolute shambles. I feel sorry for the guys. I can't ask for any more. Every one of them gave everything they've got.

"Now we have got to get our heads down and try and get four or five players in to help the guys out."

It took the visitors three minutes to break the deadlock courtesy of a looping effort from Kevin Connelly.

And on 22 minutes they were two up when Daniel Wadge headed home from a corner.

The home side's keeper Matthew Mackie made some outstanding stops to deny Gretna all evening.

But it was 3-0 when Jake Smith fired in Malcolm Holliday's rebounded shot just before the break.

And four minutes after the interval Holliday got a goal of his own – a wonder strike from 30 yards out.

Unpha Koroma had two half chances for Selkirk, but that was all they could muster.

Liam Studholme was next on the scoresheet, before Connelly claimed his second.

With 10 minutes to go Smith also scored again – firing into the bottom corner.

And on 88 minutes Connelly secured his hat-trick moments after Jamie Hope had rattled the post from outside the box.

Selkirk have conceded 18 league goals in their opening two matches.

Rae answered the SOS after Terry Ferguson quit on Saturday evening.

Ferguson told us: "We had discussed a two-year plan with the club when I took over and we were really looking forward to the challenge.

"I didn't leave because we lost at East Kilbride, I left the club because it became clear it would be difficult to attract players of Lowland League calibre.

"Alarm bells started ringing when we [with assistant Scott Patterson] realised there were no players there from last season. And it became difficult to convince other players they should come down to Selkirk. We were working with our hands tied behind our backs.

"I wish the club all the success in the future."

Selkirk: M Mackie, S Murphy, C Dunn, D Grant, S Cunningham, M McFadyen, U Koroma, K Doran, R Ward, C Kennedy.