THE Championship title has been won with weeks to spare but the battle for promotion play-off places looks likely to go the distance.
FALKIRK will reflect on Saturday's 1-0 defeat at DUMBARTON as a missed opportunity especially since Queen of the South, their main rivals for fourth place, lost to Hearts.
It was particularly galling for John Baird who had the perfect chance to cancel out Archie Campbell's spectacular strike when he was presented with a free header in the dying minutes.
However, from just six yards, he placed his header too close to home keeper Danny Rogers.
Baird admitted: "I had a couple of shots from outside the box which weren't really chances and the keeper saved them but I should have maybe scored the header at the end.
"I headered it down and didn't get enough on it and the goalie got a hand on it but these things happen."
Both sides struggled to cope with the fiercely gusting wind which at times threatened to reduce the game to farce.
However, the game was lit up by Campbell's blistering shot was which soared into the roof of the net from fully thirty yards.
Then came Baird's howler when Mark Kerr's deft chip put him in the clear but the striker fluffed his header.
However, Falkirk have a second chance to leapfrog Queen of the South when they face Cowdenbeath tomorrow (Tue) and Baird added: "The good thing is that we've got another big game coming up on Tuesday and we'll just look forward to that and forget about today.
"If we win we will go above Queen of the South and that's our target."
Dumbarton boss Ian Murray heaped praise on his players who have won three of their last four matches.
"The players have been fantastic over the last few weeks and they were great again today," he said.
"I thought they showed great discipline to stick to the gameplan and restrict Falkirk to so few chances."
The battle to beat the drop also rumbles on and ALLOA ATHLETIC did themselves a favour despite only drawing 2-2 with LIVINGSTON.
The point was enough to lift them above Cowdenebeath while preserving their six-point advantage over the Lions.
Liam Buchanan's double might have been enough to extend that lead to nine points but, after a Ben Gordon own goal had cancelled out his first, Rory Boulding struck two minutes from time to give Livingston a potentially precious point.
"We're still in there fighting," said Mark Burchill, the Livingston manager.
STRANRAER remain top of League 1 but they had to come from behind to beat PETERHEAD 2-1 at Balmoor.
MORTON found it much easier at DUNFERMLINE where they maintained their challenge with a 4-0 win.
FORFAR ATHLETIC enjoyed a similar margin of victory against doomed STIRLING ALBION while AYR UNITED claimed a vital point in their battle to avoid the relegation play-offs with a 2-2 draw against BRECHIN CITY at Somerset Park.
The result has loosened Brechin's grip on fourth place and they may be looking anxiously at the impressive progress of AIRDRIEONIANS who are now just three points back after Bryan Prunty's double helped beat STENHOUSEMUIR 2-1.
ALBION ROVERS slipped up in their apparent march to the League 2 title, going down 3-0 at home to ALBION ROVERS.
However, their main rivals were unable to take full advantage, QUEEN'S PARK drawing 1-1 with BERWICK RANGERS at Shielfield Park while ARBROATH's decline continued at Ochilview where they went down 1-0 to EAST STIRLINGSHIRE.
EAST FIFE stayed on course for the play-offs with a 3-0 win over MONTROSE while CLYDE moved eleven points clear of bottom place thanks to a 1-0 win at ANNAN ATHLETIC.
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