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Falkirk 4; ROSS COUNTY 2 |
For Ross County's jaunty band of followers at Brockville on Saturday, there were full marks for humour and volume, and none at all for tempting fate.
Brockville was "falling down" and Falkirk were "going down" and Alex Totten was exhorted to "cheer up". And that was before half time as County secured what seemed a handsome 2-0 lead courtesy of a Alex Bone double.
The even cheekier plea of "can we play you every week?" might have had the Bairns fans cringing in discomfort as defeat seemed to loom large, but Totten's men were less ready to sit back and suffer the stick.
An incredible four-goal volley in 13 second half minutes reduced the travelling support of Falkirk's "cheating". The Falkirk fans' response? Inevitable, "can we play you every week?".
This was, arguably, County's worst performance in six games, and given the drama that unfolded in the last hour of the match, it would be easy to forget how comfortable it was for the first hour.
County manager Neale Cooper was animated an loud in his haranguing of the players in the early spell as County failed to apply any real pressure on their opponents.
Later, though, he made it clear he felt the impact on injuries in reducing the opportunity to shuffle a pack of clearly tired players was at least partly to blame for the defeat.
It was all Falkirk, in fact, during that early spell - despite Tony Bullock not being too seriously tested - until Alex Bone hit his rapid-fire double just after the half hour.
Hugh Robertson an often un-sung goal creator, swung in a corner which BONE latched on to with his head and powered downward and over the line in copy-book style.
The Falkirk 'keeper Hogarth was at fault a couple of minutes later as he fumbled a long-range effort from Ian Maxwell. The alert BONE showed his sharpness in front of goal drilling home the rebound.
County might have killed the game off there and then with a third goal, but the half time margin proved far from unassailable.
Hendry and Waddell both crashed efforts off the crossbar early in the second half but the home side did not have long to wait for their first goal.
First it was Henry who shot from the edge of the box and his strike took a wicked deflection to beat Bullock.
Bullock denied Miller with a fine save but by then the writing was on the wall. Rennie hit the equaliser a minute later scrambling the ball home from the resultant corner.
Barely another three minutes had passed before Lawrie rose to head home Waddell's corner. 15 Minutes from time the two players combined to hit a fourth for Falkirk, this time Lawrie provided for Waddell and thus completing a remarkable come-back by Falkirk.
Ross County: Bullock; Perry, S McKay (McQuade, 83), Maxwell, Irvine, Webb, Dlugonski (Boukraa, 66), Cowie (BLackley, 83), Bone, Hislop and Robertson. Unused Subs: Gonzalez (gk) and Gethins.
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Falkirk 1; ROSS COUNTY 4 |
A few more performances like this and Falkirk may well find themselves in deep trouble. A clinical first half showing allowed Ross County to win with surprising ease, overcoming a home side whose willingness to toil was not matched by capability or composure.
The problem, as we all appreciate, is that a team this young can sometimes look their age. Yesterday they were outplayed by Neale Cooper's streetwise outfir though they did, through some amateurish defending, contribute to their own downfall. Nothing much might have been done to prevent County taking a 12th minute lead, but Alex Totten must be raging at the lack of concentration that allowed the visitors to extend it to such a degree.
The wheels came off the Falkirk wagon just before half time. Kevin Christie began the rot with a desperately mis-placed pass that landed at the feet of Steven HISLOP. With the defence floundering in his wake, the big fellow planted the ball past Hogarth with a degree of panache. Injury time brought the killer blow when HISLOP was given all the time he needed to tutn and fire David Lilley's cross into the net.
The visitors, with a three-goal lead, were, understandably, less keen to commit themselves up front in the second half, yet still the home support had little to enthuse about until Lee Wilkie rose to bullet a consolation header home.
Even then, County had the final say when second half substitute Conor Gethins and Karim BOUKRAA combined to score the goal of the game. The formers pin-point pass set the Algerian up to lift a delicious lob over Hogarth.
Ross County: Gonzalez; Lilley, Robertson, Maxwell, Perry, Gilbert, McCormick (Boukraa, 74), Ferguson, Bone (Gethins, 79), Hislop and Anselin. Unused Subs: Shearer (gk), Cowie and Irvine.
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ROSS COUNTY 4; Falkirk 2 |
Falkirk are teetering on the brink. Survival is possible but it will take a Houdini act to escape the inevitable. This match, in many ways, represented a microcosm of all that has been ailing Alex Totten’s side this season. The Bairns, for almost an hour, looked probable winners. Then a mix of basic errors and some genuinely thrilling attacking play from County conspired to kill off their chances. Even in broad blue skies the Bairns’ gloom was tangible at full-time, while for County, victory secured a third first division campaign next term.
County tried a surprise tactic at the outset with Brian Irvine supplementing the attack, and the ploy seemed to work like a dream after only three minutes. A high ball into the box from Sean Webb found the veteran defender running to beat the keeper and find the net, but it was chalked off for an infringement.
In six minutes, the Bairns were in front with great interplay and a cross from Jamie McQuilken setting up Lee Miller. His header seemed to be drifting wide but the spin turned it in at the far post.
But Totten’s men were stung by an equaliser after 17 minutes when Greig Denham climbed on Irvine in the box for a penalty award. Alex BONE swept home the kick with minimum fuss.
Then in 37 minutes, County paid the price for standing off the skilful Frenchman Patrice Tano as he broke from midfield. He eluded Richard Hastings and his angled ball to the left of the box allowed Steven Craig to sweep a fine shot under the 'keeper.
County drew level just before the hour mark through former Dundee midfielder Hugh ROBERTSON, who has been a revelation for County in the current run of form.
Robertson was first disappointing with a 25-yard free-kick that struck the wall, but recovered with a slick one-two with Irvine before cutting a 15-yard shot low past the keeper.
Falkirk, not surprisingly, were full of fight and it took a last-gasp Hastings tackle on Ian Morris to prevent them regaining the lead.
But the collapse was complete in the space of four minutes with two further County goals. In 77 minutes Hastings’ long through pass had young Conor GETHINS beating the off-side trap and kept his cool to score with only the 'keeper to beat.
Skipper Steve FERGUSON wrapped it up with a determined run and finish in 81 minutes.
Ross County: Bullock; Perry, Robertson, Maxwell, Irvine, Gilbert, Webb (S McKay, 57), Ferguson, Bone (Cowie, 84), Gethins (McCormick, 79) and Hastings. Unused Subs: Fridge (gk) and Kuyper.
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