Hearts 0 Falkirk 1

Steve Lovell’s first-half strike had given Falkirk a slender lead when Dougie McDonald awarded the visitors a spot-kick.

But Hearts were left raging when he performed a controversial U-turn – awarding them just a corner instead.

Falkirk had gone nearly 14 years without winning at Tynecastle.

And Bairns boss John Hughes praised the dramatic officiating for ending their Endinburgh jinx.

He said: “I think Dougie gave the penalty and it was the linesman who said it was a perfectly good tackle.

“I’ve seen it on television and it was a great tackle by Dean Holden.

“I’m delighted something like that has gone our way.”

The visitors had bossed the early stages, with Falkirk quickly pinned back.

And Hearts’ dominance almost yielded the breakthrough after 23 minutes.

The lively Andrew Driver was the catalyst, cutting back for Gary Glen, who side-footed just wide.

The game sparked into life after 59 minutes when Falkirk took the lead in controversial circumstances.

Lovell leapt above Janos Balogh, and his cannoned off the underside of the bar before dropping over the line.

Despite furious protests that the hitman was offside, McDonald let the goal stand.

Michael Higdon then immediately had the ball in the net again, but was this time ruled offside.

In a frantic period of play, Hearts broke and Driver was axed by Holden, with McDonald awarding a penalty.

But after Falkirk's protests, the whistler changed his mind and instead awarded a corner to the fury of the majority in Tynecastle.

Falkirk scrambled clear the set-piece before going close themselves through a Darren Barr header.

Castro Dani Mallo then superbly tipped over from under his bar after Neil McCann had prodded back to his keeper.

Amid the mayhem, Barr was forced to go off for treatment with blood from a head wound he had picked up in the first term.

The home cause was hindered eight minutes from time after a moment of madness from Marius Zaliukas.

The Lithuanian hauled down Carl Finnigan – but then got his marching orders for punching the ex-Newcastle striker on the ground.

At the start of five minutes of stoppage-time, further drama followed when Falkirk midfielder Scott Arfield was shown a second yellow card.