Keeper stars as Dec wraps it up

yards after being set up by Joe Cardle in 36 minutes.

These misses gave the Bairns belief they could get back into the game and they might well have done so had it not been for Robinson.

He made two magnificent saves before half-time.

He got a strong right hand on Aaron Muirhead’s powerful shot in 38 minutes – Falkirk’s first effort on target.

Then he pushed Louis Longridge’s left-foot strike wide just before the break after the Bairns striker had been superbly played in by Jordan McGhee.

Six minutes into the second half, Dunfermline got the vital second goal.

Cardle had dazzled the Bairns defenders with some terrific dribbling before played in McManus and he stabbed a right- foot shot past Mutch. But Robinson’s heroics were not over as he pushed Reghan Tumilty’s shot wide in 61 minutes then brilliantly clutched Alex Harris’ cross in 70 minutes as Rory Loy was ready to pounce.

The Pars might have nabbed a third but Cardle’s shot in 77 minutes hit the post and bounced into Mutch’s arms.

At the death Tumilty hit the post for Falkirk but it would only have been a consolation.

Bairns boss Paul Hartley, who handed debuts to Sean Welsh and Sunderland loanee Andrew Nelson, was disappointed.

He said: “We didn’t start well but changed shape and took control. We had a big chance before half-time but felt confident we could get back into it.

“Their keeper had more saves than ours and was the difference but the two goals we lost were really sloppy.”