The return of Kenny Deuchar proved a bitter pill for East Fife as the hit man came back to haunt them.
The striker left Bayview in the summer and scored on his return to sicken the fans who used to adore him.
East Fife were hammered 5-1 last time they met the Borderers and sat in deep to frustrate the league leaders.
Gretna only had a wild effort from Mark Birch to show for their early pressure as the home side defended in numbers.
But they still couldn't keep big Deuchar - the man they feared most after his five goals last week out.
He punished them in 17 minutes when he met Gavin Skelton's cross and his header looped up and over the keeper.
Having made the breakthrough, Gretna went for the throat and forced two desperate goal-line clearances.
Deuchar's thumping header was knocked clear by Craig Lumsden and David Irons' ferocious effort was blocked by a forest of legs.
But it was one-way traffic and Gretna doubled their lead after 35 minutes thanks to a defensive blunder.
Scott Morrison raced off his line to clear from Deuchar but the ball fell kindly for Ryan Baldacchino who slotted the ball into the empty net.
The Fifers got back in the match when Gretna switched off in the 44th minute. A corner found Steven Nicholas on his own and he squeezed a shot into the bottom corner.
East Fife were proving a threat on the break and Mark Birch was booked for crudely halting Nicholas after 55 minutes.
Gretna were chasing a killer third and Skelton almost provided it when he smashed a shot into the side netting.
Baldacchino was then denied in 74 minutes by Morrison.
East Fife pressed but David Bingham provided the class which separated the sides after 83 minutes when he set up Bryan Gilfillan for an easy finish.