Play-off losers await Gretna verdict

Airdrie and Stranraer must wait for news of Gretna's fate before learning whether their hopes of promotion are over.

Gretna: Could be out of business by the end of next weekend
Gretna: Could be out of business by the end of next weekend

Gretna could go out of business at the end of their debut campaign in the SPL.

And should Gretna's administrators pull the plug next weekend, the demise of the club whose relegation from the SPL has already been confirmed could open up new places in the Irn-Bru First Division and Second Division.

Airdrie missed out on promotion to the First Division after losing 2-0 in a play-off at Clyde on Saturday, with John Brown's side completing a 3-0 aggregate victory.

Second-half goals at Broadwood from veteran striker Gary McSwegan and Pat Clarke, who also scored in the first leg, allowed Clyde to retain their First Division status.

Shortly after McSwegan's goal, Airdrie were denied a penalty which Clyde boss Brown admitted was a "stonewall" spot-kick.

"If Airdrie had scored it would have put them right back in it," Brown said.

The Clyde boss was delighted with the response from his team after warning them at the break it was Airdrie who were looking the more likely winners.

Brown said: "We went through them at half-time and we got a good reaction."

Airdrie manager Kenny Black knows there could still be another route into the First Division, even if it comes at the expense of Gretna going out of existence.

"The way our luck has been going, it will probably not happen," Black said.

Arbroath secured promotion to the Second Division despite losing the second leg of their play-off final 1-0 to Stranraer at Stair Park.

Stranraer finished the Third Division season 13 points clear of Arbroath but the Red Lichties established themselves as favourites for the play-off with their 2-0 home win in midweek, thanks to goals from Robbie Raeside and Barry Sellars.

Arbroath's Craig Tully was red-carded after 58 minutes of the second leg and Stranraer went in front five minutes later through Gregory Tade.

They could not find a further goal to force extra-time however, so - like Airdrie - Stranraer await news from Gretna, the team who claimed three successive promotions to reach the SPL.

Arbroath boss John McGlashan said: "Our defending was marvellous and it would have been nice to see Stranraer and ourselves go up. They fully deserve to be in the Second Division."

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