Falkirk 1
Dundee Utd 3
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

This was Falkirk manager Jim Jefferies twelfth attempt in trying to record a victory against United. He must have been confident at the interval, but three goals in a fifteen minute spell midway through the second half brought United their second successive victory and maintained the Tangerines as the Bairns bogey side.

United remain the only Premier side against whom the Bairns boss has yet to see his side record a victory. However, before Falkirk went ahead. United had a couple excellent chances themselves. The first of these came after 17 minutes when Billy McKinlay's long through ball found Christian Dailly who this time sprung the offside trap. He bore in on goal from the left, but was foiled by Burridge and lost possession after picking up the rebound. In similar circumstances, David Hannah went clear in a more central position, but Burridge saved his shot.

Craig Brewster then let fly from 35 yards with a volley which dipped viciously, hitting the top of the net. Almost immediately afterwards, Falkirk went ahead. Rice robbed Maurice Malpas and fed the ball through to Nicky Henderson who jigged his way past Petric and Welsh which presented him with a shooting position right in front of goal and he tucked the ball into the bottom corner from 10 yards.

United stepped up the pressure right from the first whistle in the second half and were rewarded in the 63rd minute with a tremendous strike. Brian Welsh swept the ball over from the left and Craig Brewster hooked the ball just inside Burridge's left hand post from 12 yards. This made four goals for Craig from the last four games.

From that moment you got the impression that there was only going to be one winner. Eleven minutes later, Jerren Nixon met Craig Brewster's low driven cross from the right at the far post and after appearing to have lost a shooting chance, the Trinidadian winger squeezed United ahead from the acutest of angles.

Four minutes later Falkirk's number was up when United extended their lead with another spectacular strike, Jerren Nixon out on the left, picked out Billy McKinlay and the United midfielder despatched the ball past Burridge from 20 yards for his second goal in as many games.

A soft penalty award gave Falkirk a possible life-line when they were awarded a penalty after Weir and Henderson went tumbling in the box following a challenge from Brian Welsh, but Kelham O'Hanlon made a fine save from Fulton's spot-kick.

Golac commented, "The only I disappointing thing was the way in which we again lost a bad goal"