Falkirk 4 Hibs 1

Our five match unbeaten league run came to an abrupt end as we lost 4-1 to Falkirk in the William Hill Premiership.

A hat-trick from Barney Stewart and a late Louie Marsh strike saw the hosts run out convincing winners. 

Rocky Bushiri had given us hope after we trailed by two goals at the break before Falkirk scored twice late on to end a dismal day on the road.

Head Coach David Gray made five changes – some enforced, some not - to the side knocked out of the Scottish Cup last weekend by Dunfermline Athletic.

Grant Hanley and Jack Iredale came back into our defence, while Dan Barlaser and Miguel Chaiwa started in midfield and Martin Boyle was restored to our attack. 

Thibault Klidje dropped out through illness, Warren O’Hora and Josh Mulligan missed out through injury, whilst Joe Newell and Junior Hoilett were amongst the substitutes.

We started the match brightly and good pressing forced Scott Bain into a poor, rushed clearance that ended with a low Barlaser effort being blocked.

The conditions were making it difficult for both teams and in the third minute it led to an awkward Hanley pass back being sliced clear by Raphael Sallinger; Falkirk pounced on the clearance and Calvin Miller twice had efforts blocked by Rocky. 

There was little between the sides in the opening exchanges with both teams having opportunities to find a breakthrough. First, Boyle could not convert a header following a lovely Jordan Obita cross, then Dylan Tait shot wide from the edge of our box. 

On 13 minutes, it took a brave challenge from Brad Spencer to divert a powerful strike from Obita into the side netting.

Falkirk began to enjoy a lot of possession, leading to the breakthrough just three minutes later. Miller was afforded time and space inside our box to pick out Stewart, who had the easiest of tasks to turn it in unchallenged just in front of goal.

We tried to respond quickly, and it took a terrific save from Bain to keep his side ahead as he threw himself down to his right to push away a net-bound header from Hanley.

Keelan Adams had a huge chance to double his side’s advantage when he peeled off the right flank and stepped inside Iredale; the goal opened up for the full-back but from 16 yards he fired wide of the far post.

The Bairns were then denied by a stunning save from Sallinger down at his near post as the goalkeeper palmed away an effort from Miller following a well-worked free kick.

Unfortunately for us, the hosts made the most of their pressure before the break to grab a second goal. After Falkirk snuck in a gap left unguarded behind our right-hand side, Hanley attempted to come across and cover only to be beaten to it by Miller, who drove into our box before picking out Stewart for his second goal of the afternoon.

We made a change of personnel and shape during the break with Elie Youan replacing centre-back Iredale. We moved to a back four with Youan supporting Boyle and Kieron Bowie in attack.

The home side had a big chance to extend their advantage early in the second half when Miller shot wide from close range following a cutback from Stewart.

Chances had been few and far between for us however we did have a big opportunity when the ball dropped to Bowie at an angle, only for the forward to fail to make a clean connection and Bain saved comfortably.

We did reduce arrears on 59 minutes when Obita’s whipped corner-kick delivery was powered past Bain by the head of Rocky.

Megwa then fired a rising effort over the top as we put Falkirk under sustained pressure for the first time in the game.

Falkirk’s best opportunity in the second half appeared to be from a set piece, and they almost scored from a free-kick on 67 minutes - only for Sallinger to touch Miller’s curling shot onto the crossbar.

From the resulting corner, Wilson saw a shot deflected over by Youan and then Adams saw a glancing header drift just wide of the far post.

Stewart was chasing his hat-trick and he had a big chance to claim it when Rocky’s misplaced pass was seized. The forward’s shot-on-the-turn beat Sallinger only to drag wide of the far post.

Jamie McGrath fired over from a free-kick and then substitute Rudi Molotnikov forced a low save from Bain with a low drive as we chased an equaliser.

Despite Hibs' growing influence in the game, Falkirk were still carrying a goal threat and grabbed their third on 83 minutes. Substitute Louie Marsh ran onto a threaded through ball, drew Sallinger from goal and rolled it to Stewart, who completed his hat-trick with a simple finish from close range.

A gloomy afternoon in Falkirk was compounded in the final moments when Marsh’s low strike across the face of goal was sliced into the bottom corner by Hanley.