Falkirk 1
Dundee Utd 3
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Manager, Jim McLean, opted for the same eleven which had finished the New Years Day game with Aberdeen as we looked to make it four wins out of four against the newly promoted Brockville side. The match got off to a quiet start and the first attempt on goal came in the seventh minute when Jim Mclnally hooked in a shot just over, only minutes after receiving treatment following a tackle on him by former colleague Neil Duffy. Gordon McDougall, making his debut in the home goal saw more of the action than his United counterpart in the early stages, but he could only watch as Mixu Paatelainen headed against the bar after Duncan Ferguson flicked on a Ray McKinnon corner in the 12th minute. Falkirk emulated us by hitting the woodwork when Stainrod's comer was flicked on by Baptie and Hughes running in, bulleted a header against the inside of the post. McAllister sent an overhead kick wide of the far post and Hughes headed the resultant corner over as Falkirk enjoyed what was to be their best spell of the match. We hemmed the home side back in their own half, but didn't test McDougall until ten minutes before half-time when Dave Bowman found Jim Mclnally, who in turn, squared the ball to Ray McKinnon who neatly flighted the ball past a static keeper from some 30 yards out to give us the lead. Only a flying save by McDougall prevented Darren Jackson putting us ahead when his curling shot was tipped round the post.

Falkirk began the second half with up-and-at-them tactics, but five minutes into the second period we went two ahead. Guide Van de Kamp pumped the ball upfield. Hughes headed clear but the ball broke to Darren Jackson off the back of Duncan Ferguson's head and he lashed the ball past McDougall from an acute angle. Mixu Paatelainen twice went close. First McDougall made a point blank save from the Finn who then sent a header whistling past from a Ray McKinnon corner. McDougall again came to Falkirk's rescue with a save from Darren Jackson. Seven minutes from time we profited from another huge clearance by Guido Van de Kamp. This time Darren Jackson got on the end of it and he rammed the ball home from eight yards. Two minutes later John Hughes hammered in a volley which Jim Mclnally cleared, but not before it had crossed the line. We really should have added a fourth in the last minute, but McDougall made a double save from Dave Bowman and Mixu Paatelainen, but this turned out to be our second convincing Brockville success of the season