Bad for the Bairns
Houston fumes as Hibs benefit from spot of good luck
ABRAVE defeat and a contentious penalty. Maybe Bairns boss Peter Houston would have been as well sending his players into action wearing Scotland rugby kits.
The ball was a different shape but the sense of disbelief and dismay was familiar as Houston cursed referee Alan Muir’s decision to award Hibernian the spotkick which secured a crucial win for the visitors.
The defining moment came after 40 minutes when John McGinn hared into the box and knocked the ball around Blair Alston before barreling straight into the Falkirk midfielder and plunging to the turf.
It appeared impossible for the visibly stunned Alston to evade McGinn, who was barracked with chants of ‘cheat, cheat, cheat’ for the rest of a fractious fixture.
Unflustered and composed as always, Jason Cummings caressed home his ninth goal of the season.
‘It was John McGinn who said to one of our players that it was never a penalty,’ claimed Houston afterwards. ‘He said that to Paul Watson, our centre-half. But whatever John McGinn says doesn’t matter — it is about what Alan Muir says. We need to accept it, but I think it was a wrong call.
‘I didn’t think it was a penalty and I don’t think the referee had a great view of it. Hibs players have said to Falkirk players before halftime that they didn’t think it was a penalty kick — and I agree with them.
‘I feel aggrieved because I thought we deserved something out of the game.’
Despite the debatable nature of the winner, all that will matter to Hibs head coach Alan Stubbs is that his side claimed an eighth victory in their last nine outings and successfully climbed to second spot in the table.
Yet it was the Bairns who almost claimed the lead with 15 minutes gone. Former Scotland international Lee Miller rolled back the years to meet a superb Luke Leahy cross but his towering header crashed off the bar.
Falkirk keeper Danny Rogers then produced a fine save to deny Dominique Malonga as the Congo cap almost produced a carbon copy of his swerving goal from the edge of the box against Dumbarton last Saturday.
However, Cummings’ spotkick ensured Hibs held a 1-0 lead at the break — and meant referee Muir was forced to navigate an irate Houston on his way down the tunnel for his half-time cup of tea.
Houston is already facing an SFA hearing for insinuating ‘bias and incompetence’ towards ref John McKendrick following Falkirk’s recent 3-1 defeat against Rangers.
His relationship with — and opinion of — officialdom is unlikely to have improved after last night.
‘I politely said: “Mr Muir...” and I didn’t swear at him,’ said Houston. ‘I asked him why he gave the penalty because there was no way it was a penalty.
‘He told me that if it happened anywhere else on the pitch he would have given a foul. I don’t agree with that.’
Hibs could have ultimately made the victory more handsome after the break, but Malonga’s attempt to dink the ball over Rogers when sent clear was dreadful.
Falkirk’s final chance to rescue a point was denied by a wonderful clearance by Darren McGregor when Bob McHugh appeared destined to nod home from point-blank range.
‘I’m pleased with the performance,’ said Stubbs, who admitted the penalty decision was ‘very soft’.
He added: ‘This is not an easy place to come to and we have dealt with everything they have thrown at us. The boys have stood firm and showed resilience.’
FALKIRK (4-2-3-1): Rogers; Muirhead, Watson, P Grant, Leahy; Kerr, Vaulks; Alston (McHugh 79), Sibbald, Smith (Baird 57); Miller. Subs not used: Tokarczyk, McCracken, T Grant, Blair, Sinnamon.
HIBS (4-4-2): Oxley; Gray, McGregor, Hanlon, Stevenson; Bartley, McGinn, McGeouch, Keatings (Fontaine 86); Malonga, Cummings (Henderson 69). Subs not used: Reguero, Fyvie, El Alagui, Boyle, Feruz.
Referee: Alan Muir. Attendance: 5,429.