We started with the same XI from last week although Elliot and Corrigan were on the bench. We should have made the perfect start when McDonald's flick presented Clarkson with a glorious chance but he spooned it over. Foran headed wide from the back post and McDonald poked wide as we dominated without hitting the target. Kerr had good long-range chances but blazed both over and with ten minutes left before the break we looked well on top.
Foran scores penalty number two
But then we were hit by a sucker punch. Stokes had received no service all day but when he got the ball inside the box he showed his talent. Quinn was turned inside out and although the shot was weak it was accurate enough to squeeze through the hands of Meldrum. We endured our first dodgy spell as Falkirk asserted themselves but they didn't create any more chances. However got back into the game when Thomson inexplicably waved his hand in the air as the ball bobbled in the box. Foran sent the 'keeper the wrong way.
We needed to come out fast in the second half and we certainly did. Lasley surged past Milne in the box and was clipped. There wasn't much contact but with the pace Lasley was going at there wasn't much contact needed to send him sprawling. Foran did the honours again after waiting an age for the Falkirk players to settle. For no apparent reason, we sat back and invited Falkirk onto us and let them back into the game. We did look solid until Stokes lay off – possibly with his hand – fell for Latapy to wrong foot Meldrum and equalise. Twenty minutes to go and it was game on – we needed to stand up and be counted.
A cold, windy day
And when we really needed it, the hero was there. Scott McDonald collected Quinn's cross and seemed to be going away from goal when he lashed the ball high past Lambers and into the net. It was the 5000th goal in the SPL and an absolute peach. Falkirk tried to rally but two fouls in quick succession by Stokes – a clumsy tackle and dive in the box – saw their only goal threat red carded. When Elliot bulleted McGarry's cross in (allegedly!) with a great header it was game over. Falkirk, to their credit, kept going and Meldrum finally made a save with five minutes to go.
Latapy flashed a free kick wide in injury time but it was too little too late.