McKinnon salutes his battling Bairns
FALKIRK manager Ray McKinnon paid tribute to his players after their smash-and-grab victory over Dunfermline raised the stakes in the scrap for Championship survival.
Davis Keillor-Dunn came off the subs’ bench to net the winner 13 minutes from time following a delightful exchange with Zak Rudden.
The three crucial points meant Falkirk climbed off the foot of the table at Partick Thistle’s expense.
However, the Pars will wonder how they emerged empty-handed from yesterday’s entertaining derby.
Bruce Anderson had an early penalty saved by Harry Burgoyne before the hosts hit the post twice.
Just four points now separate five clubs at the bottom of the Championship ahead of what promises to be a nail-biting finale. ‘We were bottom of the league with no points for a part of the season,’ said McKinnon. ‘Now there are five teams in it, so we deserve credit for that.
‘The boys are showing tremendous effort, energy and commitment. This is a massive result against our rivals.
‘To be fair to Dunfermline, they had a couple of really good chances and we maybe carried a bit of luck.’
The Fifers were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead after 17 minutes when referee Willie Collum awarded a penalty following a wild challenge on Anderson by Ciaran McKenna. Anderson took the kick himself but it was a poor effort and Burgoyne made the save.
The Falkirk keeper then produced an excellent stop — this time with his feet — to deny Jackson Longridge after the Dunfermline full-back tried his luck from a tight angle.
Home keeper Ryan Scully showed his ability with a sensational save just after the interval, tipping a Rudden header to safety from point-blank range.
However, the Pars were soon on the front foot again, with skipper Lee Ashcroft sending a looping header against the base of the post.
Dunfermline were then hit by a sucker punch when a clever flick from Rudden allowed Keillor-Dunn to slot a superb low finish beyond Scully.