Falkirk secured their spot in the top-six with a 3-2 win over Motherwell at Fir Park on Saturday afternoon.
Motherwell were looking to extend their unbeaten run at home to 13 matches, but Barney Stewart opened the scoring from a free kick inside four minutes. Elliot Watt got the Steelmen back on level terms with an absolutely stunning volley on the edge of the box on 34 minutes.
Jens Berthel Askou’s side would only be level for ten minutes, with Ben Broggio capitalising on a mix-up when Motherwell were trying to break Falkirk’s press.
Duncan Nicholson was at the heart of the action when he pointed to the penalty spot for an infringement on Filip Lissah by Ibrahim Said, with Calvin Miller netting the subsequent spot kick just after the hour mark.
Tawanda Maswanhise netted a consolation goal with the last kick of the game, slotting past Scott Bain for his 22nd club goal of the season.
Following the final international break of the season, Jens Berthel Askou was forced into changes to his team. Callum Slattery served the first of his two-match suspension, with both Liam Gordon and Eythor Bjørgolfsson missing out, as well as Johnny Koutroumbis, Callum Hendry, Regan Charles-Cook and Zach Robinson.
The Motherwell bench was made up of five Motherwell Academy graduates, including 16-year-old Blane Watson, who was named amongst the substitutes for the first time.
With anticipation high ahead of kick-off that the 90 minutes would be filled with action between two exciting sides, it didn’t take long for the deadlock to be broken. After just three minutes, Miller whipped in a left-footed delivery from the left-hand side which found Stewart, who continued his fine form in front of goal.
The early setback didn’t seem to unsettle the Steelmen, who reacted positive to the early setback. Just minutes later, Elijah Just tested the reactions of Bain in goal, with the forward cutting inside on his right foot and having a go from distance, but the keeper was a match to the effort.
Motherwell were then unfortunate not to be awarded a spot kick on seven minutes. Just, again involved, set off chasing down the ball on the left wing and managed to get a cross into the box towards Maswanhise, who was brought down by Liam Henderson in the area. The Falkirk defender wiped out Maswanhise’s standing leg, but play was waved on by Nicholson, who missed the event.
The hosts continued to probe, knowing it would take something special to beat Bain, who looked alert between the sticks. And when the ball fell into Watt’s path on the edge of the box following a corner, the midfielder set himself and produced expert technique to catch the ball sweetly on the volley, which beat the keeper and drew his side level. 34 minutes gone and the game was level once again.
With momentum seemingly in Motherwell’s favour, Tom Sparrow was brought down in a promising position on the edge of the box as the Welshman latched onto a through ball. The free kick was awarded on the right-edge of the box, which favoured Just’s left foot. The New Zealand international got his effort on target, but once again, Bain was behind it.
But Falkirk stuck to their game plan, and when Watt was unable to find Calum Ward with his pass backwards, Broggio was there to pounce as Ward couldn’t connect with the ball, leaving an empty net for a tap-in right before the break.
At the start of the second-half, Motherwell looked to respond early. Longelo’s searching cross-field ball landed right into Sparrow’s path, as the utility man had got in behind the Falkirk backline. His control was perfect, but his effort on his weaker left side went way over the bar.
Falkirk were still looking threatening, however. Miller brought the ball down well under press from Paul McGinn. He swivelled to get away from the defender, and from 35-yards, spotted Ward off his line. His chipped effort was on target and needed to be touched onto the woodwork by a back-tracking Ward.
And just seconds later, Motherwell lost possession, and Keelan Adams found Broggio, looking for his second goal, in the area with a low ball. Once again, it had to be the last line of defence to prevent a goal, with McGinn on hand on the goal line to clear.
With wind in their sails, Falkirk were awarded a penalty kick just before the hour mark. A corner was delivered and then cleared by Stephen O’Donnell, but Nicholson pointed to the spot for Said’s apparent holding on Lissah. VAR decided not to intervene, and Miller made no mistake from the spot.
Motherwell made changes to try and get themselves back into the match, which left them vulnerable at the back. Dylan Tait was just off target with his strike, and substitute Ethan Ross cut inside and fired wide of the post.
But Motherwell kept on probing, with Just being denied once again from Bain, who palmed Just’s effort out for a corner in the latter stages. Maswanhise was unfortunate not to convert from Said’s cross, as Bain came rushing out to block the Zimbabwean’s attempt at goal.
Right at the death, Just swivelled in the middle of the pitch and slipped Maswanhise through on goal, and the forward made no mistake this time, dispatching it into the bottom corner. Only seconds remained, however, in the match as the referee blew for full time almost immediately after the restart, as Motherwell lost at Fir Park for the first time since October.
Motherwell Team: Ward, O’Donnell, McGinn, Welsh, Longelo, Watt, Fadinger, Sparrow, Just, Maswanhise, Said.
Motherwell Subs: Connelly, McGhee, Priestman, McAllister, Halliday, McColm, Watson, Nicholson, Ross.
