Match Report

Sunday, 11th January, 2009

by Martin Hannan

Falkirk 4-2 Queen of the South: Doonhamers' dreams blown away by second-half show

AS HAD happened earlier in the season in the CIS Cup, First Division Queen of the South came to Falkirk and made the SPL side fight all the way. The Doonhamers' dreams of a repeat of last year's magnificent cup run died at the hands of Falkirk, but they might just as easily have perished from hypothermia.

A freezing howling gale funnelled down the Falkirk Stadium towards the visitors' stand where 1,002 brave Queens fans made up almost a third of the total attendance of 3,423. They cheered their heroes incessantly, and the Doonhamers gave them plenty to shout about.

"Credit to the two teams in the conditions," said manager John Hughes. "It was difficult to play football but we dug out the result."

In the snell wind, players attempting clearances stood like golfers hitting nine iron shots into a westerly at Turnberry or Troon, the ball often boomeranging back to the kicker. Homecoming Cup? Which exile would want to come "home" to weather like this?

Still, it provided entertainment value for those who like their football of the blooper variety. An aimless first half saw countless errors. Playing with the wind, and minus Stevie Lovell who failed a fitness test on his calf injury yesterday morning, Falkirk almost took the lead in the opening minutes when Jackie McNamara's cross was headed powerfully goalwards by Graham Barrett, only for Lee Robinson, on loan from Rangers, to tip the ball over.

With barely a chance at goal from either side, Queens played an offside trap which frustrated Falkirk, and it began to look as if the visitors would reach the interval safely and have wind advantage in the second half.

On a Shakespearean day – it was a Comedy of Errors – former Gretna player Craig Barr then played The Fool after 35 minutes, needlessly hauling back Craig Barrett by the shirt as the Falkirk man was heading away from goal. A clear penalty and a booking for Barr, with Scott Arfield stepping up to convert the spot kick.

Having done very little but defend and spoil to that point, Queens began to play a bit, and were rewarded less than five minutes later when veteran Barry Wilson collected at the edge of the Falkirk box and fired in a speculative shot which deflected off Lee Bullen and past Robert Olejnik for the equaliser. Wilson's "reward" was to be scythed down a minute later by Michael Higdon who was rightly booked for his offence.

The second half started with a bang, the visitors taking the lead with a magnificent free kick from 20 yards out which Bob Harris crashed with his left boot just inside Olejnik's post. "I do practise them with Stevie Tosh and Barry Wilson," said Harris. "I felt as soon as I hit it that it was going in."

Less than 60 seconds later, Falkirk had equalised. They charged upfield, and Neil McCann cut in from the left and found Arfield who dispatched the ball first-time behind Robinson. Queens' manager Gordon Chisholm said his players had been "naive" and added: "You always say in football that you are always vulnerable after scoring a goal and that showed."

Playing into the wind seemed to suit Falkirk's passing game and with their confidence visibly returning it was no surprise when they went ahead after 68 minutes, Barrett pouncing on a rebound off Robinson from Darren Barr's initial shot.

Michael Higdon had a double chance to finish off the Dumfries side's cup challenge after 76 minutes, Robinson tipping his header onto the bar and the striker failing to control the rebound and sending the ball high over.

On 80 minutes, Barrett really did signal the end for last year's finalists. Substitute Mark Stewart cut in from the right and found Barrett on the left of the six yard box, the Irish international firing home the clinching goal. "Mark gave us something extra when he came," said Barrett. "He's a direct runner and he's unlucky not to have had a few goals himself."

Queens did try to get back on terms, but by the end they looked cold, wet and dispirited on a day when even the ducks were in hiding.