Match Report

Thursday, 30th October, 2008

by Julian Peck

Feeling champion!

CHAMPIONS League Yogi? You're having a laugh!

John Hughes certainly was after watching his side claim a valuable victory at Rugby Park which hauled them off the bottom of the SPL table.

Competing with Europe's elite is, of course, only a faraway dream, yet the Falkirk boss was making a very pertinent point of another kind.

Following a number of questionable refereeing decisions that have gone against the Bairns throughout this season, an important one actually went in their favour.

When Graeme Barrett cut across Jamie Hamill in the box and was bundled to the ground – a challenge very similar to the one that resulted in Lee Bullen's sending off one week previously – Mike McCurry immediately awarded a penalty kick.

And Scott Arfield's subsequent conversion from the spot doubled his side's advantage and ultimately secured the three points.

Claims that Barrett played for the foul – something the striker later strongly denied – may have been upheld on any other day, though.

Instead, it seemed like Falkirk had actually got the rub of the green for once and it was the turn of the opposition to leave the ground raging over a top grade whistler, although he was nowhere near as bad as the fans had made out.

"We've had players red carded, goals chalked off, penalties given against us," said Hughes.

"We'd love to be up there with Kilmarnock in the standings but, on top of all that, we have been ravished with injury as well and had 14 out at one point.

"Supposedly it all evens itself out in the end, though. Well, if that's the case, then we'll be in the Champions League!"

The tongue in cheek point was taken, although European competition in some capacity may actually be a future target of the manager.

Right now, however, it is all about amassing points, climbing up the domestic league table and remaining on track to try and emulate last season's heroics.

"We work closely with our sports psychologist, Watt Nicol, and he's been different class," said Hughes.

"He had a chat with the players last week and told them that they shouldn't be upset because we had only seven points – pointing out that if it hadn't been for an injury-time winner against Hearts we would be sitting with just five.

"I thought that was brilliant because it put things in perspective."

"We had a great season last time out when, with two games to play before the split, we were in with a chance of a top-six finish.

"We did that after taking nine points from the first round of fixtures (11 games)."

"Well, we've now overtaken that total with one game still to go and that's why being bottom never really concerned me."

If Kilmarnock's 'opposition lowdown' in Saturday's match programme was to be believed, then a win for the Bairns would have actually guaranteed a top six place.

It was, instead, a rather unfortunate 'copy and paste' from the previous campaign.

Falkirk's brand of passing football still remains a carbon copy of seasons past, though, and it served them very well as Rugby Park was battered by the howling wind and swirling rain.

Their first half performance, especially, was back to their very best and warmed the souls of 446 brave supporters sitting in the Chadwick Stand.

Starting with a real purpose, Steve Lovell had the ball in the back of the net after just 38 seconds but was flagged for offside.

The in-form striker was not to be denied in the 28th minute, however. When Alan Combe punched Neil McCann's corner kick away, Jackie McNamara bravely headed the ball back to Lovell who hooked home from six yards.

At the other end the excellent Scott Flinders produced three outstanding saves, denying Conor Sammon's powerful header, then another from David Fernandez and deflecting a third shot by Craig Bryson onto the post.

But any hope of a fightback was ended with the 65th minute penalty when the superb Arfield sent Combe the wrong way and blasted home. Falkirk still had to hold on with ten men for the final 20 minutes, however.

Lovell clashed with Hamill following a tackle on the half way line and some pushing followed before the former raised a knee to the defender.

And McCurry, after eventually breaking up a melee of players, had no choice but to send Lovell packing with a straight red card.

The Bairns refused to back down, though, and continued to press when the opportunities arose.

Kilmarnock, meanwhile, were starting to look desperate as they pushed forward in numbers but failed to test Flinders as his defence stood firm.

However, two minutes into stoppage time, the deficit was reduced when two substitutes, Willie Gibson and Donovan Simmonds, combined and the latter sent a low header past Flinders.