Falkirk 3 - 3 Celtic: Falkirk find scoring touch as Celtic's old failings return

THE Celtic supporters were silent here alright. They will, undoubtedly, have much to say about their team in the coming days, and manager Tony Mowbray's continued inability to get the best from his players.

There is, though, only so much he can do. Aiden McGeady missed a first-half penalty, and then gave up on the task of tracking back as Ryan Flynn drove into the box. Falkirk scored their second goal of a remarkable afternoon from the move. It was the first time this season they have managed to strike more than once in a match, although they were not finished there.

A six-goal thriller was the last thing we expected at the Falkirk stadium yesterday. On Remembrance Sunday, Falkirk recalled how to score.

Having suffered the blow of throwing away a lead that had been achieved despite the loss of the first goal, Falkirk rallied to equalise with just six minutes remaining through substitute Mark Stewart. It was no more than they deserved, though Celtic will rue a second-half in which they conceded as many as they scored, and when old failings re-appeared.

The midweek draw with SV Hamburg, combined with last weekend's uncomplicated 3-0 victory over Kilmarnock, had tempted many to observe that Mowbray's teething problems were over. Reasons for alarm have returned, however.

It is not often you can say Falkirk were rampant, so let's say it here. They did, though, have goalkeeper Robert Olejnik to thank for the point. The Austrian not only saved McGeady's first-half penalty, but blocked the same player's effort from the rebound, too. The way he kicked his leg into the air to knock the ball over the bar was unorthodox, but brilliant.

McGeady was by far the least culpable of Celtic's failures. Paddy McCourt enjoyed himself in a 4-0 romp here for Celtic earlier this season. Yesterday, however, he was anonymous and made way for Scott McDonald, who grabbed Celtic's equaliser after 72 minutes and then put his side ahead seven minutes later.

Stephen McManus came on at half-time for the injured Glenn Loovens, and within 20 minutes Celtic had conceded twice against the most goal-shy team in the land.

But Falkirk deserve credit for overturning a one-goal deficit and then composing themselves having gone quickly behind again.

For eight delirious minutes they led against the SPL table-toppers, but were pick-pocketed by McDonald. The forward, dropped after recent poor form in front of goal, came on just moments after Pedro Moutinho had struck Falkirk's second. Little more than quarter of an hour later, the Australian had struck twice. The game had turned on its head again.

Much has been made of Eddie May's apparent desire to discredit predecessor John Hughes, though he denied this in newspapers yesterday. Serving to back-up the Falkirk manager's argument was the shape his team employed here, which replicated that which saw Falkirk control last season's Scottish Cup final against Rangers. Imitation is, after all, the sincerest form of flattery. By the use of such tactics, it seemed May had only guaranteed the same outcome; lots of pretty play, but no final product.

Falkirk reaped the benefit from flooding the midfield in terms of possession. But, in what has been a story of this season as well as last, they initially struggled with the object of the game. The inside back pages of the match programme illustrated this sorry tale. Great swathes of white space were present where the 'scorers' were supposed to feature.

Even on the five previous occasions Falkirk had struck in the league this season, the single goal has proved redundant since their opponents have always claimed more. Not yesterday, though.

Their cause was not helped due to the withdrawal of lone striker Carl Finnigan just prior to kick-off. Moutinho stepped off the bench to replace him, resuming an association with Falkirk that many thought had ended on his departure in 2007. His return to Madeira did not go as planned, however. May brought him back, and yesterday pitched him back into circumstances he would recall from his last spell with the club. Falkirk dominated, but could not locate a lethal finish.

It seemed very much like a same old story when Celtic were granted the opportunity to score from a penalty, having created very little themselves. Alex MacDonald gifted possession to McGeady, and proved over-zealous when seeking to win it back. His late challenge sent McGeady sprawling, and on this occasion there was little doubt that the winger's tumble to the ground was a valid reaction.

Fortune favoured MacDonald, who saw Olejnik block McGeady's initial attempt, then save the rebound. MacDonald, on loan from Burnley, later discovered that his ticket had been drawn in the club's match lottery, handing him a prize of over £700.

The glut of goals began after 55 minutes, with Gary Caldwell's simple headed conversion of a Barry Robson free-kick. Given Falkirk's problems in hitting the target in the first-half, it was easy to reach the conclusion that there might be no way back for the home team. Just five minutes later, however, Falkirk finally hit the back of the net.

There were few in the home stands prepared to believe a goal was coming as Scott Arfield stepped back to take a penalty, awarded after Caldwell's lunge on Flynn.

It was a carbon copy of the incident in the first-half, which led to McGeady's double miss. Arfield's shot was only slightly more decisive, and crossed the line via Lukasz Zaluska's palm. But that it crossed the line was all that mattered. How the Falkirk fans roared their approval.

Minutes later Flynn again panicked the visitors with a run down the left. His cross was rammed into the net by Moutinho, who had arrived at the edge of the six-yard box at just the right moment.

A goal against Celtic on his return to the club was worth the booking he picked up for removing his top during the extended celebrations.

Perhaps such an outpouring of joy affected Falkirk's concentration. Perhaps it simply hardened Celtic's resolve.The visitors equalised through a McDonald header, from a Danny Fox centre, and then went ahead when the striker tapped in a Georgios Samaras cross from the left.

But such was the craziness of the game, nothing that was still left to unfold surprised.

Stewart had only been on the pitch six minutes when he rifled home the equaliser from an acute angle, after more good work from Flynn.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Robert Olejnik (Falkirk)

Kept his team in the game on a number of occasions, and while Falkirk dominated the opening half was still called into action when saving Aiden McGeady's penalty, and his follow-up effort. Also saved superbly from substitute Zheng Zhie in the second-half, and despite conceding three times, just shades Ryan Flynn for the award.