It was evedint from the first few minutes that this was going to be a poor game. Passes were going astray all over the place, and the first touch of the Saints players seemed awful. For some reason we went with three up front, Ricky Gilies joining up with Brian McGinty and John O'Neill. Perhaps this contributed to our poor showing.
With it being such a poor game I can't be bothered writing much about it, so I'll concentrate on the goals and a few other things.
For most of the game Saints resorted to pumping the ball forward, which usually saw it being pumped straight back by John Hughes and James Sharp in the Falkirk defence. The times we did play football, however, we looked dangerous. A duffed Simon Lappin free kick which scrapped along the ground almost resorted in a goal, with someone only just missing knocking it in at the back post.
A good move down the left saw Lappin cross into the box, and a Saints midfielder was there to head home the opener. Midfielders scoring for Saints has become common Saints this season, with Ricky Gillies and John O'Neill being our top scorers. However, this midfielder it was neither of them, but in fact Hugh Murray! Love Street was almost shocked by the fact that Shuggy had scored his first goal since August 2000, and his first league goal in nearly four years! He's been going close in recent weeks, and hopefully he'll start chipping in with some more.
At the other end, Falkirk went close to an equaliser, with the de-pineappled one smacking the post and seeing his shot bounce back into the grateful hands of Stevie Woods. Woods was doing his best impression of former Saint Derek Scrimgour, failing to command his area, looking shaky and rarely straying from his line.
Before half time Saints could, and should have had a second. O'Neill forced his way past the clogger wearing the Falkirk number 6 jersey, then did something to the Falkirk goalie before scoring. Sadly, the flag had gone up as soon as O'Neill had made contact with the clogger. Never a foul, but at least the linesman was prompt.
It was Wood's statue abilities which was to cost us early on in the second half, when a Falkirk corner was easily headed home by Hughes. Like last week, Woods got his hands to it and should have saved it, but it was the fact he was rooted to his line which caused the problems. Falkirk would go close, managing lots of free headers, but Woods reulctance to move surely didn't help.
The only other chance Saints had was when Robert Dunn was fouled in the box and, admid calls for a penalty, Gillies had a shot tipped over the bar. It was a penalty, however as Gillies had the shot then the advantage rule had been played and we don't get one. You might in that silly egg chasing sport for folk who weigh more than Mark Yardley, but not here thank you very much.
So that was it, 1-1 with neither team deserving three points. We still look more solid without McGowne, but Woods is useless and we'd be better bringing back Craig Hinchcliffe. What annoys me, however, is that we only seem to bring on subs with 10-15 minutes to go. How are guys like Allan Russell meant to get up to speed (having been out for weeks), let alone score in this time?
Elsewhere, Brechin won to go off the bottom, whilst Ayr and Raith lost meaning we've pulled away slightly. We play Ayr next week, three points please/