In a season that has already seen Rangers win two trophies while set to contest another with Hibs who will be playing in their second major cup final of the season at Hampden later this month and could also yet be promoted, a powerful case can be made that neither will have been the biggest achievers from among the Championship’s clubs this season.

Some statistics can be misleading, others a bit random, but this time the historians did us proud in revealing that among all these achievements by the division’s two best resourced clubs Falkirk have, in separating them in the final league table, lost fewer games than Rangers in a season for the first time in 90 years, while they have finished above Hibs for the first time in 45.

In doing so they have demonstrated that reaching the Scottish Cup final during their first campaign under Peter Houston was no fluke and for all that inevitable nervousness overcame them in the closing stages at the Falkirk Stadium yesterday afternoon as word got through that Hibs had taken the lead against Queen of the South which meant they had to win to hold onto second spot, they fully deserved their runners-up finish.

Taken in isolation a draw would have been a fair result as Jim Duffy, another experienced manager who has done a fine job over a near identical period, was entitled to point out.

“Over the 90 mins we were definitely unlucky to lose the game,” he said.

“I thought Falkirk were better team first half, they passed the ball well. Second half though we were better and over the9-0 we were unlucky not to get something, but the one thing from my point of view is that players showed a magnificent attitude and professionalism.”

That last comment seemed tacit acknowledgement of the references that have been made in recent days to Morton’s 10-2 capitulation to Hamilton in their last competitive match before he took over which came close to denying Dundee promotion to the Premiership.

This time around they could hardly have done more to keep Falkirk honest not least when Declan McManus was decreed to have been offside when he appeared to have timed his run perfectly before knocking in what would have been the equaliser.

While keen to ensure that his players got all the credit they deserved, Houston did not dissent from his fellow manager’s analysis.

“I wouldn’t have liked to have tested my pulse rate at the end… that was nervy,” he admitted.

“We got the goal and then you hear what’s going on at Easter Road and nervous energy and tension took over.

“We didn’t pass it, but it’s just human nature and it’s difficult to try to change your unit. You just hope they defend properly.”

They should have led before they did when their first half efforts appeared to have been rewarded as, running onto a perfectly weighted pass from Luke Leahy who had twice been involved in the build-up, John Baird appeared, in spite of Morton’s protests otherwise, to have been tripped by Luca Gasparotto. The striker took the penalty himself and while Houston was smiling when he said ‘he’s off them,’ the suspicion is that he meant it since the attempt lacked conviction, struck to Derek Gaston’s right at just the right height and range to allow the goalkeeper to be able to block it relatively easily.

Pretty much the last act of the first half he would have been relieved to have discovered that Hibs were all still level at the break, but much more so when Paul Watson stooped at the back post to meet Lee Miller’s cross from the left to head home from around six yards almost immediately after the re-start. The identity of the scorer was, too, utterly typical of the way things turn out in sport since Watson came close to joining Hibs last summer, spending a week training with them.

Even so, as fated as they may have seemed and welcome as his goal was, it was still arguably a bit too early for his team since they became increasingly jittery towards the end, the majority of them unwilling to spend any time on the ball, those who did becoming fumble-toed, while there was an unwillingness to put in any sort of challenge in and around their penalty area, other than desperate last gasp lunges.

One way or another they held on, however to earn what could be a vital break ahead of major challenges to come.