Gretna 0-1 Hibernian

A sweet volley from Steven Fletcher was enough to earn Hibs victory over struggling Gretna at Fir Park.

Rob Jones hit the crossbar with a header and the lively Filipe Morais went close with two shots as Hibs dominated the first hour.

Fletcher fired a cut-back from Lewis Stevenson past keeper Greg Fleming seven minutes into the second half.

The Premier League's bottom side rallied in the later stages, with James Grady going close with a lofted shot.

Gretna remain stranded at the wrong end of the table, while Hibs stay in third place - level on points with second-place Rangers and Dundee United in fourth.

It was one-way traffic in the opening 20 minutes, with the visitors pushing forward at every opportunity.

Morais tried his luck with two early strikes, the first pushed into the side-netting by Fleming, while the second whizzed narrowly wide.

Jones missed a good headed chance and Fleming raced out to block bravely at the feet of Mickael Antoine-Curier, following a poor headed pass back from Danny Grainger.

The loose ball fell to Morais but the Portuguese winger blazed his shot high over the empty net.

Antoine-Curier had to hobble off and Hibs had to make a second first-half change when Guillaume Beuzelin was hurt, with Clayton Donaldson and Ross Chisholm coming on.

The loss of Beuzelin from central midfield dulled the visitors' early threat and Gretna began to get a foothold in the game.

With 35 minutes gone, Hibs captain Jones got on the end of a Morais corner only to see his header crash off the crossbar.

Hibs again took the initiative after the interval and Fleming had to tip away another strike from Morais and Chisholm fired inches wide from distance before the breakthrough goal came on 52 minutes.

Stevenson did well to keep a deflected shot from Donaldson in play and cut the ball back for Fletcher to ram home a splendid volley.

Gretna improved significantly after going behind and substitute David Graham injected some much-needed urgency to their attack.

Gavin Skelton poked an effort wide and Grady sent a shot high over the crossbar for the home team.

Fleming awkwardly kept out a sliced effort from Brian Kerr after a lightning break from the last of Hibs' substitutes Alan O'Brien.

Gretna finished strongly and Grady managed to lift a shot over the huge frame of goalkeeper Yves Ma-Kalambay but his effort bounced into the side-netting.