Gretna are pinning their hopes of SPL survival on making some big January signings. Whether they, or their manager Davie Irons, still have hope then looks unlikely.

Gretna are pinning their hopes of SPL survival on making some big January signings. Whether they, or their manager Davie Irons, still have hope then looks unlikely.

In their last three games, bottom club Gretna have played the second-bottom side. They have lost to St Mirren, Inverness CT and now Falkirk, conceding seven goals, scoring none. Net result: a six-point gap at the foot of the table.

"My position isn't in doubt as far as I'm concerned," insisted Irons. It seems unlikely that the amiable Brooks Mileson would reach for the axe, but that's what they said about Rowan Alexander. "I've spoken to Mileson and he knows we have to change it around. We need to make sure it's a worthwhile situation come Christmas and that we can strengthen."

The fear is the gap will be a lot larger by then. Having failed to take points against their closest rivals, Gretna face the Old Firm, the New Firm', the Edinburgh clubs, Kilmarnock and Motherwell between now and the opening of the transfer window. Play like they did against Falkirk and it's difficult to see them taking anything from those eight games.

Irons was missing most of his defence through injuries or suspension. Pedro Moutinho was made to look world-class by stand-in right-back Allan Jenkins, while poor marking and miscommunication gave goals to Darren Barr and Graham Barrett either side of half-time.

Remarkably, it was Barrett's second full 90 minutes in two years after missing the whole of last season with a knee injury.

"It does run through your head that that could be it' but you have to put it to one side," he said after scoring his third goal of the season. "You've nothing to lose when you've got a serious injury you've just got to work hard to get back.

"I can't speak highly enough of the way the club and the manager treated me. I got three or four different opinions in London. I had four operations and they sent me to the best surgeon possible.

"Falkirk are a family club but think like a big club. I owe the manger a great deal."