Falkirk favoured by defensive blips

By ALAN PATTULLO
AT FALKIRK STADIUM
IT MIGHT lack the glamour and tension of the title race but the battle for seventh place in the Scottish Premier League remains alive after Falkirk took advantage of a poor defensive display from Hearts last night. Two goals either side of half-time were enough to take Falkirk to within two points of their opponents, with two games to play.
Tam Scobbie and Carl Finnigan were the ones to feast on the lapses of concentration in the Hearts box and although substitute Deividas Cesnauskis pulled one goal back with 14 minutes remaining the Tynecastle side could not recover from these earlier setbacks. Little went right for Hearts, who lost both Gary Glen and Saulius Mikoliunas to injury in the first half. However, neither of these changes impacted on the defence, and it is this department which cost Hearts dear last night.

Falkirk manager John Hughes was delighted that on a firm, slick surface his side were able to re-discover their fluent passing game. Stephen Frail, the Hearts caretaker manager, questioned his side's desire. "Falkirk wanted it more," he said. "I hoped to finish the season with five wins but we'll just have to finish it with four wins now. It's important that we win against Kilmarnock and then Gretna and finish this season on a tiny, tiny high."

In an atmosphere that was predictably downbeat, Falkirk were first to threaten when Scott Arfield's shot was deflected just wide of the post. Relieved of the tension which can stifle the ambition of players both teams combined to produce an end-to-end opening, with only a fine covering tackle from Chris Mitchell preventing Hearts' Mikoliunas from playing in team-mate Glen. While keen to see Falkirk make the most of a campaign in which his side has played some fine football, Hughes' thoughts had already drifted to next season, and he dropped skipper Jack Ross from the squad. The defender has just signed a pre-contract agreement with St Mirren and will see out what remains of his Falkirk career in the stand.

Mitchell, his replacement, looked comfortable at the back although Hearts were granted a chance to test the Falkirk rearguard when Gerard Aafjes bundled Glen over just outside the box. The away side failed to capitalise on the opportunity and there was further cause for regret when Glen was forced off after 34 minutes, with the striker labouring with a leg injury. Jamie Mole was sent on to replace him, and this was only the first alteration forced upon Frail before half-time.

Mikoliunas was another who had picked up an injury which had failed to respond to on-field treatment. Lee Wallace came on for the Lithuanian and the changes evidently unsettled Hearts, who slipped a goal behind a minute into first-half injury time. Steve Banks had been forced to make a good save from an overhead kick by Michael Higdon but Hearts were caught cold by Pedro Moutinho's resultant corner. Scobbie had all the time in the world to direct a volley beyond Banks from the edge of the six-yard box, with the Hearts defence posted missing.

While saving the match was a valid prospect when only a goal behind, Hearts were dealt a decisive blow just six minutes after the re-start. Again questions had to be asked of the away side's defence. A long ball from Patrick Cregg found Scobbie on the fringe of the box and while it was obvious the midfielder would seek to play a header back across the box, no-one in the Hearts rearguard seemed prepared for it. Instead they stood like statues and watched Finnigan react first with an artful header which found the net.

With only one substitution left there was little Frail could do to alter the flow of the game, although he did at least attempt to add some spice to the Hearts attack when replacing the ineffectual Calum Elliot with Cesnauskis after 66 minutes.

Falkirk, for their part, brought on Russell Latapy and Hughes hoped the addition of his class to the midfield would help the home side see out the victory in untroubled style.

Cesnauskis, however, was keen to catch the eye. This urge led to him picking up a booking for simulation after he fell to the ground in theatrical fashion following a light challenge from Mitchell. But the Lithuanian made his mark in more laudable fashion after 76 minutes when finishing well from a tight angle after a solo run in the box.

Falkirk: Supple, Mitchell, Scobbie, Aafjes, Barr, McBride, Moutinho (Latapy 72), Arfield, Cregg, Finnigan, Higdon. Subs not used: Olejnik, Clarke, Barrett, Bradley, Stewart, Staunton. Booked: Aafjes.

Hearts: Banks, Thomson, Goncalves, Berra, Karipidis, Kingston, Jonsson, Mikoliunas (Wallace 39), Elliot (Cesnauskis 67), Palazuelos, Glen (Mole 34). Subs not used: Ridgers, Stewart, Zaliukas, Screpis. Booked: Thomson, Mole, Cesnauskis, Palazuelos.

Taken from the Scotsman