Fleming’s sixth penalty save leaves Falkirk frustrated

steal in and lash the ball home after rounding Danny Rogers. A frantic finale to the half saw Falkirk draw level, but not before the visiting keeper’s heroics.

“The boy hit the penalty well and I gambled and thankfully I managed to get a hand to it,” Fleming said.

“It was a decent strike and that’s me saved six this season. It was just a pity we lost a goal right after the penalty save and it was right on half-time. We’re still seven points clear of St Mirren so it was a valuable point.”

While second-bottom Ayr can be happy with their return from an entertaining game in Grangemouth, the feeling from the Falkirk camp was one of dissatisfaction. They should have been ahead early in the match with Myles Hippolyte and Tom Taiwo squandering good opportunities but, in truth, the visitors gave as good as they got.

You may have expected Falkirk goalscorer Grant to have been pleased to have found the net at least, but it was the manner of the goal the defender played a part in conceding that occupied his thoughts after the whistle, and probably long into a sleepless night.

“My main concern is clean sheets,” Grant said. “The goal is a bonus. I want to get back to last season when we took a lot of pride in the number of clean sheets. It was a relief to get the equaliser.

“I’m just disappointed the game ended up a draw because we felt we had done enough with the chances we had. We’re frustrated.”