Falkirk 1 Kilmarnock 1 New year, same old story for Falkirk, who have gone seven games without a win and still don�t seem to realise that rele�gation is a very real threat.
Falkirk 1 Kilmarnock 1
New year, same old story for Falkirk, who have gone seven games without a win and still don't seem to realise that relegation is a very real threat.
John Hughes' squad looks better than those of fellow candidates for the drop, Inverness and Hamilton. But Hamilton are two points ahead and bottom side Caley only one behind - and while they play each other in the league's next round, Falkirk will be at Ibrox.
With no money to spend in January, Hughes would be forgiven for hoping his old friend at Burnley, Owen Coyle, continues to give him glowing references. But unless a Championship chairman picks up the phone, Hughes will have to solve Falkirk's problems or risk blotting an impressive CV.
One of the few teams in the country at any level to prize patience and passing above force and fitness, perhaps now Falkirk need a more direct approach. Hamilton manager Billy Reid recently admitted his own frustration at having to abandon last season's title-winning possession play, but sometimes needs must.
Allowed to play by a poor Kilmarnock in the first half, Falkirk put together some attractive passing moves, with the impressive Scott Arfield and Neil McCann getting into good positions; but their most potent threat was the rare direct ball to the burly Michael Higdon and the two best chances were created by the away team, who hardly made one successful pass in the entire half.
It was notable that Falkirk's goal came from one of the few occasions when they chanced a shot from long range instead of trying to walk the ball in, Kevin McBride's effort bouncing into the path of Steve Lovell, who flicked the ball into the net with a deft touch.
Since Kilmarnock have taken no points this season when their opponents have scored first, that luck four minutes before half-time looked like a good platform to start 2009 with a win. But Kilmarnock controlled the second half: the energetic substitute Craig Bryson disrupted Falkirk's passing by exerting pressure in midfield and the home team had no alternative gameplan.
Winger Willie Gibson finally started to run at opponents. and created the goal, his third assist in two games, with an in-swinging cross from the right wing that was guided in with a backward header by David Fernandez. It was just reward for the Spaniard, superb in recent weeks.
"He's a small guy and you see him every week against huge defenders and think no way he's going to keep the ball, but he does it every week and every day in training," said Gibson. "You learn every day from him and it's a real bonus having him in the team."
Falkirk had cause to complain about the equaliser as Arnau Riera was fouled in the build-up, but it was not the first or last decision Iain Brines got wrong. He wasn't at his lamentable worst, but still showed eight yellow cards in a mild-tempered game. Jefferies and Hughes managed not to break their self-imposed ban on criticising referees.
Low on confidence, Falkirk were grateful in the end to escape with a point after Donovan Simmonds hit their bar with a header, Tam Scobbie cleared a late Bryson effort away from Grant Murray on the goal-line and Brines failed to penalise McCann for an apparent handball in the box.
"I was 10 yards away and you could see it was a handball," added Gibson. "He knew himself but sometimes you get them and sometimes you don't."
Scobbie, starting a game for the first time since October after injury, admitted a point was all his team deserved. "We dug it out in the end and just need to look forward to the next game," he said.
"It's a new year, we need to start picking up points and it doesn't matter how we do it."
