By Kieran Daley
Tuesday, 6 May 2008

Goals either side of half-time from Thomas Scobbie and Carl Finnigan prevented Hearts guaranteeing themselves a seventh- place finish in the Scottish Premier League and kept alive Falkirk's slim hopes of overhauling their rivals at the top of the bottom half of the division.

Falkirk opened the scoring at the ideal time – on the stroke of half-time – when Scobbie volleyed in Pedro Moutinho's corner kick. Hearts had threatened prior to going behind. In the 25th minute a lightning break saw Young Player of the Month Gary Glen and Calum Elliot combine to feed Laryea Kingston in space on the right. However, Falkirk keeper Shane Supple got down low to his left to turn the midfielder's drive round the post.

It was the hosts who threatened first after the break as Finnigan speared a shot wide from long range.

Michael Higdon tried his luck moments later but was wilder than his team-mate and was never in danger of troubling Steve Banks.

The Hearts keeper was left hopelessly exposed in the 52nd minute, however, as Falkirk doubled their advantage. Patrick Cregg picked out Scobbie on the left side of the area and his header across the six-yard box found Finnigan unmarked and with the simple task of nodding home.

Hearts almost got the counter they were looking for when Eggert Jonsson met a cross from Lee Wallace but, despite an apparent nudge on Gerard Aafjes, the Icelandic youngster headed wide of the target.

Christos Karipidis was forced to block Moutinho's shot when Scott Arfield slipped a magnificent pass through to his Portuguese team-mate as Falkirk turned the screw without finding the third that would have put the game beyond Hearts. But it was substitute Deividas Cesnauskis who fired home from close range as the visitors turned up the heat in a tense finale.

Falkirk (4-4-2): Supple; Mitchell, Scobbie, Aafjes, Barr; McBride, Moutinho (Latapy, 72), Arfield, Cregg; Finnigan, Higdon. Substitutes not used: Olejnik (gk), Clarke, Barrett, Bradley, Stewert, Staunton.

Hearts (4-4-2): Banks; Thomson, Goncalves, Berra, Karipidis; Kingston, Jonsson, Mikoliunas (Wallace, 39), Elliot (Cesnauskis, 67); Palazuelos, Glen (Mole, 34). Substitutes not used: Ridgers, Stewart, Zaliukas, Screpis.

Referee: S Dougal.

http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/scotland/