FALKIRK were last night denied a first top-six finish in the Scottish Premier League after a late winner from Chris Maguire. The striker claimed his second of the night with just seven minutes remaining and ruined the away side's hopes of gaining som
ething tangible from the season. Instead it is Aberdeen who can look forward to bigger crowds and larger pay-days after the league splits in two, with Jimmy Calderwood's side once again obtaining a result when the pressure was on.
It left Falkirk ruing yet another fruitless trip to Pittodrie, where they have not won since 1957. The stadium again proved a cemetery of hope for the Falkirk fans, who saw their hopes briefly raised by a messy equaliser from Carl Finnigan just after half-time. But Maguire hit them with an agonising winner in the 83rd minute having already claimed the opening goal of the night midway through the first half.
Falkirk knew that if they did not concede then the keys to the top six would be in their possession on the journey back south again. That this could be achieved was a belief born from more than slender hope. The Falkirk defence had been breached only twice in seven games prior to last night, and though this solidity has been off-set somewhat by a lack of a killer -touch at the other end of the park an unbeaten run of four matches brought John Hughes' team to a position where they simply had to avoid losing to cement their place in the top half of the league.
A famous victory, though, appeared to be their primary aim. Hughes's side began last night full of the purpose that has seen Falkirk remain a favourite team for those neutrals who like to see football played with a commitment to style. On two occasions in the opening ten minutes they came close to opening the scoring after a start which suggested Aberdeen had forgotten that a win would see themselves leap-frog Falkirk into sixth place. They were listless while Falkirk appeared alert enough to hear the grass grow, although this might have been difficult in certain areas of a pitch that has been battered by a procession of midweek games this season.
This was just another high-octane evening for Aberdeen. If the identity of their opponents made the fans' enthusiasm levels shrink in comparison with previous encounters with the likes of Bayern Munich then the rewards on offer should have bolstered those who felt some fatigue. Aberdeen had their own sights set on gate-crashing the top half of the league.
However, the possibility they might ambush Falkirk's hopes seemed remote as the away side poured towards Derek Soutar. Carl Finnigan had two chances to put his side in front and failed on both occasions. First he shot straight at Soutar after a cross from Jack Ross and then he watched his header bounce just past the Aberdeen goalkeeper's far post.
Both missed opportunities were no doubt recollected as Aberdeen stole into the lead in the 21st minute. Surprisingly for a defence so lauded in recent weeks it required only a long throw from Scott Severin to prompt alarm in the Falkirk box. Zander Diamond managed to make firm contact with the ball but it was helped into the net by an additional touch from Maguire, positioned behind his team-mate. The complexion of the night had suddenly changed. All Aberdeen now needed to do was hold on to this lead, with the pressure now on Falkirk to prevent this happening.
The home side came close to adding to Maguire's opener, with Robert Olejnik required to make a vital stop at the feet of Richard Foster as he raced through on goal. Having begun the match so impressively Falkirk were now intent on simply keeping themselves in the game as half-time approached.
Hughes' half-time talk must have followed an obvious theme, but the need to score was made more problematic by Falkirk's recent difficulties in front of goal. Since they had failed to take advantage of more conventional routes to goal it was perhaps unsurprising that when the equaliser did come, it stemmed from a farcical mistake from Soutar and had limited Falkirk involvement.
Only four minutes of the second half had elapsed when Scott Arfield drove a decent ball in from the right. While it was pitched into the right place Soutar appeared ready to cope with the danger at his near post. Instead calamity followed, as Aberdeen were reacquainted with the goalkeeping goofs that have blighted their season. Soutar allowed the ball to spill from his grasp under pressure from Finnigan. The Falkirk striker gleefully added the touch which saw the ball end up in the Aberdeen net via Souter's leg. It left Soutar a picture of anguish.
The Aberdeen goalkeeper was a central figure in the local newspaper last night, where he voiced a fear he would be left on the scrap-heap this summer at the end of his Pittodrie contract. These concerns had perhaps been playing on his mind when he lost concentration at such a critical time, but there was still little excuse for an error which had such potentially damaging consequences.
Falkirk looked reinvigorated but survived a scare when defender Kenny Milne appeared to handle when in the process of clearing a high ball into the box. Aberdeen had been forced into a change at half-time with the injured Jackie McNamara making way for Darren Mackie, and the alteration effected their rhythm somewhat. Having survived Falkirk's early domination of the game, they were forced to batten down the hatches once more.
Falkirk strove hard to obtain the greater degree of comfort a second goal would have granted but Soutar dealt with those attempts to unnerve him further. As expected, Aberdeen then launched a late bid to save themselves from the bleak prospect of bottom-six involvement, and this thought proved an excellent stimulant. With seven minutes remaining it was judged – to Falkirk's ire – that Sone Aluko had prevented the ball crossing the bye-line as he crossed for Maguire, who claimed his second with a smart finish from a tight angle.
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