Match Report

Tuesday, 8th January, 2008

by Julian Peck

Falkirk 1 Kilmarnock 1

The Bairns striker found the net four minutes before the break when he latched onto Kevin McBride's pass, which deflected off Frazer Wright, and got the slightest of touches to place the ball under Damien Rascle and into the bottom left corner.

Killie levelled the scores in the 68th minute after Fernandez connected with Willie Gibson's chipped pass and glanced a header past Robert Olejnik.

Falkirk have now still to beat Kilmarnock at Westfield since returning to the SPL, their previous two wins coming at Rugby Park.

With captain Darren Barr suspended, following his red card against Dundee United one week ago, Tam Scobbie stepped into the fray in a 4-4-2 formation.

An impeccable one minute's silence was also held prior to kick-off in memory of former Falkirk player and manager George Miller who passed away last week.

On a bitterly cold day, the Bairns then got their first game of the New Year underway and threatened first with just 50 seconds on the clock when Scott Arfield pulled a shot wide of the left post.

The match soon preceded into a scrappy affair, though - both sides failing to maintain possession or create any clear-cut opportunities. Indeed, it wasn't until the 20th minute before Scobbie stretched to get on the end of a Neil McCann corner before heading off target.

James Fowler did have a vain shout for a penalty after sprinting down the right flank and deflecting a cross off Scobbie, but the visitors were making little leeway up front.

The next chance fell to the Bairns, who were spending plenty of time in their opponents' half, but Higdon could only direct his 26th minute volley, from Lovell's knock-down, straight into the waiting arms of Rascle.

With half an hour played, Kilmarnock enjoyed their best spell. Firstly, Fernandez robbed the ball off a Falkirk defender and set-up Gibson as he drove into the box but his shot was dragged across goal and past the far upright.

Moments later Allan Russell directed a header, from Hay's cross, goalward but Olejnik easily held.

Killie, although disjointed in midfield, were looking dangerous on the break and in the 32nd minute Fernandez cut a pass across the edge of the area to Russell but Olejnik sprinted from his line to expertly block the resulting shot.

However, Falkirk still probably deserved their opener when it came in the 41st minute.

The second half proved to be a very scrappy affair with very little to write home about, other than referee Iain Brines' flurry of yellow cards that already totalled seven by the 63rd minute, much to the fury of both sets of supporters.

But Kilmarnock grabbed the equaliser five minutes after the latest booking when Gibson regained possession after skewing a horrible effort high into the air to set up Fernandez.

The game only really burst into life with 15 minutes remaining as Falkirk battled to stay on a level footing while Kilmarnock searched for a winner.

They almost snatched a second when substitute Donovan Simmonds crashed a header off the crossbar before a number of subsequent attempts were either cleared or blocked - the visitors denied another penalty claim in the process.

At the other end Higdon sent his looping header inches wide of the left post and then McCann blasted a shot into the arms of Rascle, but the game ended with honours even.

"It was a game of two halves," said Falkirk boss John Hughes. "We were better in the first and Kilmarnock in the second.

"I can understand my boys' performance after the break, though. They wanted to hold onto their lead.

"But we will take the result as a positive and hope that it kick-starts us to getting some wins."