Gretna 1

Witton Albion 2

UniBond Division One

Saturday, April 7

THEY may have had to leave the country to do it, but Witton picked up their first away league win since November.

Although it wasn't a display which will have anyone convinced that the good times are set to return, the job of getting three points, one which has proved arduous for Albion since the start of the year, was the prime target.

It was certainly very different to Gretna's 4-1 thrashing of Witton on their own soil earlier in the season and any fears of a repeat were dispelled thanks to two first half goals.

The opener came on 19 minutes when Matt Garner, still two days short of his 17th birthday, strode down the left to force a corner. Charlie Boyd played the ball in for Eddie Bishop to head past former Scotland international Henry Smith.

Smith, who won three caps for the Scots as a Hearts player in the late -1980s, then kept out Anane but was powerless to stop the second from the unlikely source of Brian Pritchard's right foot.

Boyd's 41st minute free-kick was partially cleared to Pritchard 15 yards out and although the centre back had some help from his shin, he executed a perfect lob into the corner of the net.

Gretna used all three substitutes at half-time, desperate for a comeback to help them out of the bottom two, but this tactic would backfire.

Two further injuries in the second period meant they finished the game with only nine on the field, but it still didn't stop them almost forcing a draw as Witton put up a puzzling rearguard action.

Bishop found himself back in defence for some reason in the 63rd minute and his contribution was to trip Kane Young and concede a penalty. Mark Dobie, the division's top scorer, put away his 25th goal of the season.

Trough impressive debutant James Hall and the wasteful Anane, Albion fired wide with more chances to kill off the game, so they were holding on against the depleted Scots towards the end.

An equalizer was almost forced in the closing minutes when Dean Greygoose had to tip Steven Senior's cross over the bar.