Falkirk denied title party as four-goal ex-Hearts winger edges ahead of Lawrence Shankland in golden boot race

Champagne on ice at Falkirk Stadium as League One title race extended by another week

Falkirk were denied a title party but Callumn Morrison put on a show as the Bairns cemented their status as champions-in-waiting with a 4-1 win over relegated Edinburgh City.

The unbeaten League One leaders will have to wait another week for a chance to secure promotion after second-placed Hamilton Accies scored twice in the final 10 minutes to seal a 3-1 victory at Cove Rangers.

It meant the champagne was kept on ice but Morrison could be forgiven for breaking open a celebratory bottle after netting the first half-trick of his career.

Falkirk's Callumn Morrison celebrates one of his four goals in the 4-1 win over Edinburgh City. Pic: Michael Gillen

The former Hearts winger actually went one better, scoring all four goals including a brace of penalties as he took his season's league tally to 21, edging one ahead of Lawrence Shankland as the top scorer in Scotland.

"We did our bit, that was all we could do," Falkirk boss John McGlynn said. "Personally I never thought it would be won today, but we had to make sure we did our job.”

The gap between the top two stands at 17 points with 18 left to play for meaning that Falkirk have it in their own hands to get over the line next week. However, they could be confirmed as champions before their 5.30pm kick-off in Montrose if Hamilton fail to beat Queen of the South.

After five long years spent languishing in the third tier Falkirk fans will take promotion any way it comes. McGlynn is keen for his players to do it under their own steam.

"We want to win it on our own – not by Hamilton dropping points," he said. "We want to go to Montrose and do the job ourselves regardless of what happens. We're 30 games unbeaten now and we've got to have big shoulders and say we want to go 36."

A crowd of 5684 packed into the Falkirk Stadium in party mood but the atmosphere was punctured somewhat by an early Hamilton goal around 130 miles away. Falkirk needed the Accies to lose so that was not part of the script.

Morrison lifted the mood when he opened the scoring from the spot on the half hour after Sean Mackie had been fouled in the box and he added a second in first-half injury-time showing neat feet in the box before stabbing home.

There was 56 minutes on the clock when the roar went up to signal a Cove Rangers equaliser – and for almost half an hour the Falkirk Stadium was bouncing. Morrison completed his hat-trick with a thumping finish before stroking home another penalty as the first chants of "Championees" rang around the stadium.

However, when news filtered through of an 83rd minute Accies goal, then another three minutes later, it became clear that it was not going to be the day it happened for Falkirk. Edinburgh's Momodou Sambou accentuated the flat ending to proceedings by pulling one back in the 90th minute as the full-time whistle brought warm applause instead of wild celebrations, but Falkirk can be rest assured that the inevitable has only been delayed.

Elsewhere in League One, Annan Athletic claimed a 3-2 win over Kelty Hearts, who had Thomas O'Ware red carded at the death, Stirling Albion earned a 1-0 win over Montrose, and Queen of the South won 2-0 at Alloa.