Falkirk could not dig out the result they so desperately needed as they drew 0-0 with St Johnstone, but manager Steven Pressley remains bullish about their prospects.
More than 5500 spectators turned up at the Falkirk Stadium but they were forced to watch a tense, scrappy affair with few clear-cut chances.
However, St Johnstone can rightly feel aggrieved they were not awarded a penalty when 19-year-old debutant Josh Falkingham was bundled over in the Falkirk box in the second half by Robert Olejnik.
With Kilmarnock winning in Aberdeen, the Bairns have to win in Ayrshire in their high-noon relegation showdown on Saturday to have any hope of staying up.
St Johnstone remain on track to finish in seventh with their nearest challengers Hamilton also drawing 0-0 last night with St Mirren.
A remarkably calm Steven Pressley said, “Looking at tonight’s Killie result, nothing has changed. We still need to go to Rugby Park and win.
“I think we can go there with a lot of confidence.”
Asked if Saints deserved a penalty, he said with a smile, “I thought they just might have.”
His counterpart Derek Mcinnes said, “It was a scrappy, nervy game on a difficult pitch.
“We struggled for fluency in the first half but I felt we had a better balance in the second. We were a lot more positive and should have scored.”
Of the disputed penalty, he said, “Unbelievable. If the ref did not think it was a spot kick, why did he not book Josh for diving? Their keeper has won the lottery tonight.”
McInnes set out his attacking intentions with a giant forward line consisting of Kenny Deuchar, Cillian Sheridan with Collin Samuel wide left.
However, it was Falkirk who fashioned the first opening in the sixth minute when a long throw from the right was flicked on by Enoch Showunmi to Pedro Moutinho six yards out from Graeme Smith’s line but the Portuguese player could not keep his hooked shot down and it flew over the bar.
That was it as far as chances were concerned in the first quarter with little for the bumper crowd swelled thanks to a combination of the importance of the occasion for the home side and reduced admission prices to cheer about.
In fact, 20 minutes into this war of attrition, two passing microlight aircraft flying over the stadium were the main thing that had caught the eye.
Just before the half-hour mark, St Johnstone suffered a blow when star midfielder Murray Davidson, who had been ill in the build-up to the game, had to go off to be replaced by Falkingham.
St Johnstone’s problems almost deepened in the 32nd minute when a Moutinho corner from the Falkirk right was met powerfully by Tam Scobbie from 12 yards but his header flashed just wide of Smith’s post.
It was from the right again that the Bairns manufactured the best chance of the half six minutes later.
The visitors’ defence was caught napping when Colin Healy shaped to send a corner into the mix but instead cut the ball back to Moutinho who was lurking unmarked on the edge of the penalty area and he struck a fiece shot which Smith saved superbly low to his left.
Just before half-time, Saints’ last-man defender Steven Anderson chopped down Showunmi 25 yards out. Referee Thomson reached for a card and, luckily for Anderson, produced yellow, indicating to the fury of the Falkirk fans that a Saints player had been covering over when Anderson lunged in.
Seconds later, Sheridan bundled the ball into the Falkirk net but the referee ruled Olejnik had been fouled.
Saints made their second change of the night as the second half began with veteran Paul Sheerin replacing Sheridan.Physical struggleThe opening to the second period was dominated by some powerful physical challenges which sparked a heated exchange between the two management teams.
It was another foul on the Saints’ right which produced the first opening in the 51st minute.
Grainger curled in the free-kick towards Deuchar but the big striker could not keep his header on target and it flew over.
Five minutes later, it was left-back Grainger who had a chance of his own from the edge of the box following good work by Samuel and Chris Millar. Again, he blasted his shot over the woodwork.
The game once more became bogged down as the hour mark came and went but Falkirk could and should have taken the lead in the 69th minute.
Star man Moutinho hit a cross-field pass to the left where it was picked up by Showunmi. The striker advanced on goal and hit a solid shot which deflected off Michael Duberry and flew up for Flynn. However, with the goal at his mercy, he headed wide.
Seconds later, Saints stormed up the pitch and as Falkingham made towards the byline Olejnik rushed out and seemed to clatter into the youngster but the referee waved away Saints’ appeals for a penalty.
Falkirk’s play became more frantic as time began to run out, but Flynn should have kept his composure when he was freed inside the box but allowed the ball to run away from him as he advanced on Smith.
The home fans’ frustration reached fever pitch when Showunmi also messed up a promising situation inside the box in the 79th minute.
A minute before time, Flynn again had a chance to seal all three points when the ball broke to him 12 yards from Saints’ goal but his diagonal strike was acrobatically palmed over by Smith.