Managers share the pain of dreary draw

PETER Houston, the Falkirk manager, savaged his side’s performance before taking solace from still being in the ascendancy for that crucial second-top play-off spot.

It was nothing like vintage from the visitors who rarely resembled themselves until Luke Leahy’s 83rd-minute equaliser cancelled out Simon Murray’s 50th-minute opener, and substitute Scott Shepherd struck the post in the final minute.

Houston, whose promotion- chasing side remain four points ahead of Dundee United and two above rivals Morton, made no excuses for his team’s dreary display.

“We could have won it at the end,” said Houston. “But for 70 minutes, I felt we didn’t play anywhere near the standard we have set ourselves. That wasn’t the real Falkirk out there. The first half was a non-event.

“For two teams near the top of the division, the standard was pretty poor. It’s probably still a better point for us than United as nothing has changed in terms of the league positions.”

There was plenty of stake in this encounter and United boss Ray McKinnon wasn’t afraid to hand highly-rated teenage midfielder Scott Allardice his debut having impressed in the under-20s.

The Tayside club were almost gifted the lead in 10 minutes when Murray dispossessed Falkirk stopper Lucas Gasparotto before slipping the ball to Thomas Mikkelsen, but the on-loan Danish striker hesitated and Aaron Muirhead got back to clear the danger.

Then, in 16 minutes, Stewart Murdoch put Murray clean through only for the forward to drag his 12-yard shot past visiting keeper Robbie Thomson’s far post.

United, though, took a deserved lead in 50 minutes. Mikkelsen’s flicked header set Murray free and the striker strode clear of the visiting defence before beating Thomson into his far corner.

Soon after, Murray was denied a quick-fire second when his curling shot came back off the post following William Edjenguele’s raking pass from inside his own half.

However, Falkirk levelled with seven minutes remaining. Substitute James Craigen’s flighted free-kick picked out Leahy and he planted a header home.

Shepherd then saw his left-foot effort come back off the post from Craig Sibbald’s cross as the Bairns pushed for a winner.

McKinnon took issue with his side’s defending which denied them all three points. “For 80 minutes, we could have been 2-0 up,” he said. “But, again, our Achilles heel was losing a goal from a setpiece. I’m very disappointed with that. I have let the players know that in the dressing-room.”