Hibernian 2-1 Falkirk

James Keatings arced home a terrific right-foot shot to snatch victory for Hibernian in injury time

James Keatings' stoppage-time stunner sent Hibernian 10 points clear at the Scottish Championship summit, after a dramatic win over second-place Falkirk.

Efe Ambrose's first Hibs goal nudged the hosts ahead after 75 minutes.

But barely 60 seconds later, the Hibees defence were caught napping, and Craig Sibbald nodded in a corner to level.

It looked to be heading for a draw, before substitute Keatings cut in from the left and curled home a magnificent winner on his weaker right foot.

Falkirk were quick to let the Hibernian players know the type of game they were in for as early as the opening minute, when Luke Leahy clattered into Martin Boyle. The Bairns defender was lucky not to pick up a very swift booking.

Winger Boyle and defender Darren Mcgregor both had chances blocked in a frantic opening period, while referee Kevin Clancy was a busy man with Tom Taiwo and Luca Gasparotto both finding their way into his book after rash challenges.

The Bairns duo were joined in the book by the industrious Boyle, who saw yellow after reacting angrily to Gasparotto's scything down of Andrew Shinnie, and Hibs top scorer Jason Cummings, who was adjudged to have dived under the challenge of Peter Grant.

Leahy came close for the visitors with a volley from the angle of the penalty box that whistled inches over Ross Laidlaw's crossbar, before Cummings curled a 25-year free kick just wide at the other end.

As the game raged from end to end in the second half, the league leaders eventually made the breakthrough - and it came from an unlikely source.

Ambrose, deployed at right-back in place of skipper David Gray, found himself with a free header eight yards out and bulleted the ball into the back of the net. It was only the sixth goal of the Nigerian's career, and his first for the Easter Road side.

Efe Ambrose performed his trademark celebratory acrobatics after scoring his first Hibernian goal

Within a minute, though, Falkirk had silenced the rapturous home crowd. The Hibs defence were caught napping when Sibbald was first to react to a corner played to the near post, and glanced his header into the bottom corner.

The game looked set to end with honours even, but Keatings had other ideas.

The former Hearts striker latched onto partner Brian Graham's knock-down on the left, and on his weaker side, arced the ball beautifully into the top-left corner of Robbie Thomson's goal.

That goal, and the three points it sealed, takes Hibs another step towards the Championship title with seven games remaining.

Hibernian head coach Neil Lennon: "It was a fitting goal. It was a great game. I thought we were very good. I thought Falkirk played as we expected, very strong. But I thought we thoroughly deserved to win it.

"We score a great goal from a set-play we have worked on, and then we have given them a goal out of nothing. The players are fit and they have a bit more about them, and we have quality as well.

"We wanted maximum points from this game and (third-placed) Morton, who we play on Wednesday."

Falkirk manager Peter Houston: "It's cruel to take. Don't take anything away from the goal, it was a quality goal. The only place the ball could go was in the top corner. So I have to give Keatings credit for the goal.

"Robbie Thomson in goal has not had an awful lot to do. It was a cracking match, both sides served up end-to-end football at times.

"We have to get back on the winning trail. We have lost the last two games, unbelievably. I don't think we deserved to lose against Morton last week and I don't think we deserved to lose today either."