Match Report

Wednesday, 24th December, 2008

by Mark Henderson

Late double knocks stuffing out of Bairns

IT may be the festive season, but the Old Firm don't give away Christmas presents to teams very often and last Sunday was not to be one of those rare occasions.

Three second half strikes from a makeshift Celtic side, without reply, wrapped up all three points for the SPL champions at a windswept Westfield.

However, this was no carve up. Falkirk were still in this match until the Hoops netted twice in injury time, as the home side pushed forward in the search of an equaliser.

In fact the only present on show was when the Bairns gifted the away side the opening goal just after the break.

"The first goal killed us," said Falkirk boss John Hughes. "It was a soft one to lose in the last quarter of the pitch and was self inflicted.

"We tried to play out of defence which we encourage, but for McDonald just to get the throw in to feet and get a hook on it and then for Samaras to get in between the two centre halfs – that was a soft goal to concede."

He went on: "We took the game to them in the first half and they knew they were in a match.

"We had one cleared off the line and thought we might have a claim for a penalty with Neil McCann just before half time."

"We played some good stuff, but then to put so much in the first half and to lose a goal so early after the break – and one which I felt was avoidable – was soul destroying."

Hughes had made three changes to last week's 2-1 defeat against Aberdeen. In came Neil McCann, Arnau Reira and Chris Mitchell at the expense of Michael Higdon, Kevin McBride and Gerard Aafjes.

In a reversal of the sides' first meeting back in August, this time it was Celtic who were decimated by a number of call-offs.

However, the early signs seemed ominous when the visitors started in determined fashion and opened up the home defence on two minutes.

Scot McDonald combined with Andreas Hinkel down the right to create space at the edge of the box and the Australian international's drive was parried by Robert Olejnik, who was on hand again to block Hinkel's rebound.

The Bairns made a foray forward two minutes later when Scott Arfield drove into the box, but he was blocked by Loovens before he could pull the trigger.

And it was the young midfielder who was the focus for most of Falkirk's most dangerous attacks.

First he took he took advantage of some slack defensive play to fire a ball into the danger area, however, Loovens was on hand to clear.

Then on 34 minutes he was instrumental in the move which nearly put the Bairns in front.

Steve Lovell beat Artur Boruc with a precise through ball and the striker's stabbed effort was rolling into the empty net until Darren O'Dea raced back to scoop it off the line.

However, the visitors should have opened the scoring just before the break when McDonald played Georgios Samaras through on goal but his effort lacked conviction and Olejnik was able to save.

Falkirk responsed immed-iately when a Burton O'Brien free-kick dropped to a stretching Neil McCann at the back post, but the winger was unable to get any power in his shot.

Despite the roaring wind both sides were serving up a Christmas cracker but the Bairns will not feel any festive cheer at how they allowed Celtic to make the breakthrough.

Minutes after the restart Olejnik needlessly put the ball out for a throw-in.

Slack marking allowed McDonald to pick up the ball on the right and his cross found the head of Samaras who had the simple task of guiding the ball into the net.

Hughes sent on Mark Stewart and Carl Finnigan – who made his first appear-ance of the season – as Falkirk committed four to the attack in search of an equaliser.

And it was Stewart who nearly shocked the champions when his 25 yard effort cracked off the post with Boruc beaten.

With the Bairns pushing forward there was always a danger of conceding on the break and in injury time the impressive Koki Mizuno guaranteed that the points would be heading to Glasgow.

The Japanese winger beat Lee Bullen to Shunsuke Nakamura's pass before outpacing Darren Barr and coolly slotting into the corner.

With seconds remaining McDonald found himself with space and he rounded Olejnik and blasted home despite the best efforts of Dean Holden.

The late strikes may have flattered the visitors but Hughes remained un-repentant at his tactics.

"I would rather we get beaten by two or three and have a real go and that was the case – all I can do is praise the players their efforts.

"My philosophy and beliefs of playing football will never ever change.

"My teams will always have a go.

"I can change my system a bit and make us more difficult to beat, but that would go against my beliefs.

"But all credit to Celtic, they had four or five out injured and they came here in real tough conditions and they dug it out."