HEART-BREAKER

Scorers: FALKIRK: Scobbie, Finnigan HEARTS: Cesnauskis

HEARTS caretaker boss Stevie Frail admitted Falkirk “wanted” the win more than the Gorgie side as they slipped to their first defeat in eight matches.

Goals from Tam Scobbie and Carl Finnigan either side of the break ensured Frail’s outfit missed out on the opportunity to seal seventh spot.

And, although substituted Deividas Cesnauskis pulled a goal back late on, the Tynecastle head coach confessed his team had allowed their standards to slip after back-to-back wins.

He said: “From us it was typical end-of-season stuff. They wanted to win the game more than us and that’s not been the case for us in the last few games. From that point of view I’m really disappointed to lose it.

“Falkirk are a good team and they pass the ball about well. I thought they shaded the first half, although there wasn’t much in it and we had wee passages of play where we looked good.

“But we defended sloppily at the corner and lost a cheap goal.

“We didn’t start the second half as well as we hoped and then we lost the second goal, which was a really bad goal to lose.

“It took that to get us starting to play again and trying to get something out of the game. We didn’t play as well as we can do. I think they wanted it that little bit more, they had more of a willingness to win the game.

“I thought we had that and we were going to try and finish it with five wins. We’ll just have to make sure we finish it with four wins.”

Hearts had two claims for a penalty turned down by referee Stuart Dougal, with Gary Glen adjudged to have been fouled outside the area and Cesnauskis booked for a dive after the break.

Frail added: “From where we were the first one looked like a penalty but I’ve been told it was a yard outside.

“In the second half, I don’t think it looked like a penalty. I’ve not seen the footage. He got booked for diving but I don’t think it looked like a penalty.”

Hearts went into this match with Gary Glen seeking a hat-trick of consecutive first-team goals as he celebrated being named the SPL’s young player of the month for April.

The 18-year-old’s winner in the 1-0 win against Inverness - the Tynecastle team’s last outing - ensured a victory against Falkirk would guarantee them seventh spot.

However, the teenager’s night was to end in less-than-happy circumstances as he limped off in the 34th minute and the night was not to get any better for the visitors.

Glen was injured in a mistimed challenge from Gerard Aafjes which had the Edinburgh side screaming for a penalty.

However, referee Stuart Dougal rightly ruled the incident had taken place outside the box and Laryea Kingston’s effort from the free-kick was blocked by Scobbie.

Falkirk defender Jack Ross paid for signing a pre-contract deal with St Mirren with his place in the squad but his replacement at right-back, youngster Chris Mitchell, impressed in his first SPL start. Mitchell wouldn’t have had time to settle before the Bairns came close to a dream start after only three minutes.

The former Newcastle youngster evaded a couple of tackles before feeding Kevin McBride on the right flank but Scott Arfield’s shot from his fellow midfielder’s centre was deflected just wide and into the side netting.

A lightning break saw Glen and Calum Elliot combine to feed Laryea Kingston in acres of space on the right as Hearts came close to a breakthrough in the 25th minute.

However, Falkirk goalkeeper Shane Supple got down low to his left to turn the midfielder’s drive round the post.

Kingston’s corner then picked out skipper Christophe Berra eight yards out but the defender nodded the ball straight into the arms of Supple.

Pedro Moutinho had a shot tipped wide of the target by Steve Banks but there was nothing the Hearts keeper could do just before the break as Scobbie volleyed in Moutinho’s corner after Michael Higdon’s overhead kick had been touched around the post.

Hearts were eager to begin the second-half brightly in search of a quick equaliser but it was Falkirk who doubled their advantage in the 51st minute.

Banks was left hopelessly exposed by his defence when Patrick Cregg picked out Scobbie on the left side of the area. The full-back’s header across the six-yard box found Finnigan without a marker and with the simplest of tasks of nodding home.

Hearts were denied their second penalty claim of the night in the 74th minute as Cesnauskis went down theatrically under a challenge from Mitchell.

But referee Dougal instead showed a yellow card at the Lithuanian for a dive. The winger was not to be denied three minutes later, however, as he latched on to a rebound from Kingston’s cutback and beat Supple from almost on the goal-line.

Falkirk were in danger of allowing their lead to slip at this point as Hearts gained confidence from the strike.

However, replacement striker Jamie Mole blazed recklessly over and fellow-substitute Lee Wallace drove past as time ran out on the Edinburgh side.

Falkirk boss John Hughes was delighted to see his side rack up their first win in six matches but believes Hearts remain in pole position to finish the best of the bottom six.

He said: “I think Hearts are still favourites to finish in seventh place. But I asked the players for a performance before the game and for parts of it they gave me a good passing performance.

“It’s always nice to score the goals and pick up the three points. I’m a great believer in performances bringing results and I think that’s what happened.

“Hearts are a good side, they’ve had a bad year but they’re still a right good side. Players like Laryea Kingston are good players and Scobbie had to work hard to contain him and then make sure he was always on the front foot and spring forward.

“At 2-0 I thought we were well in control of the game and passing it. Then we made the substitution and put Russell Latapy on and you would think that would allow us to keep the ball.

“But it spooked us a wee bit and they got the goal and we were hanging on for the last 10 minutes. All credit to the players for hanging on.”

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

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.