FULL-TIMEpublished at 21:41 BST 23 September
Scottish Championship
- Airdrieonians 1-2 St Johnstone
- Dunfermline Athletic 0-1 Ayr United
Liam Henderson scored the equaliser for Falkirk against Hibs
At a glance
Boyle & McGrath have Hibs in control
But MacIver pulls one back & Henderson levels
Hibs have now drawn four of five Premiership games
Falkirk roared back from two goals down to snatch a Scottish Premiership point against Hibernian and make it four successive draws for David Gray's side.
After their disappointing League Cup exit at the weekend, Gray was looking for a response from the Leith outfit against their promoted hosts.
The signs looked positive when Martin Boyle gave Hibs the advantage from the penalty spot after a video assistant referee check determined that Ethan Williams handled the ball inside the Falkirk box.
The Falkirk forward had his arms up as a volleyed cross was struck from close range and, although play was initially waved on, referee Callum Scott was called over to the monitor and changed his decision.
Jamie McGrath doubled the visitors' advantage just before half-time when he latched onto a loose ball in the Falkirk box, spun the defenders and fired low into the bottom corner.
But Hibs' advantage was halved minutes later when Ross MacIver turned in Ethan Williams' cross to get Falkirk back into the game just before the break.
Liam Henderson headed in the equaliser with 25 minutes to play in Falkirk after breaking free from Rocky Bushiri to glance the ball beyond Raphael Sallinger in the Hibs goal.
Both sides pushed for a winner, but had to settle for a share of the spoils.
The point moves Falkirk further away from the bottom of the Premiership table while Hibs fail to make up ground on the top two.
Boss Gray talked before the game about losing goals at the wrong moments in games, and his Hibs side once again were undone by conceding at the wrong time.
The visitors had done the hard work to put themselves two up but when MacIver's goal went in, it made for a much more nervy second half.
That stoppage-time goal also means Hibs have now conceded four times in the last 15 minutes of first halves this season - more than any other team in the Premiership.
With Celtic and Hearts now six points clear, Hibs will have to start turning these draws into wins sooner rather than later.
The credit has to go to Falkirk, though, who were clearly galvanised by that goal and presumably whatever John McGlynn had to say at half time.
They kept the pressure on Hibs in the second half and eventually won a corner that led to Henderson's equaliser.
Even after the leveller, Falkirk did not look content to settle for a point, evidenced by the introduction of Brian Graham, Alfredo Agyeman and Scott Arfield with just under 20 minutes left.
They were not afraid to come out and ask questions of Hibs and created more opportunities in front of goal.
Plenty of positive signs for the Premiership newcomers who demonstrated they can go toe to toe with one of the stronger teams in the division.
Falkirk manager John McGlynn: "We never fail to entertain, we play good football and we go out to attack in every game.
"Great mentality from the players, to be 2-0 down against a team like Hibs and to come back speaks volume for everyone involved and the fighting spirit."
Hibernian head coach David Gray: "I thought Falkirk actually started better. It took us five or 10 minutes to adjust to the speed of the pitch. Once we got into our rhythm we probably got away with the fact they should have scored first.
"I think we had enough chances to put the game to bed and that's the frustration. We gave away an inexcusable goal from a set piece.
"It felt like if a team was going to win the game, it would have been Falkirk from the momentum and noise in the stadium."
Tough ones for both. Hibs travel to Parkhead to face Premiership champions Celtic, while Falkirk head to Tynecastle to take on Derek McInnes' Hearts (both Saturday, 15:00 BST).
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Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13 |
| |
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 13 |
| |
5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 8 |
| |
5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 7 |
| |
5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| |
6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 6 |
| |
5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 5 |
| |
5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 9 | -2 | 5 |
| |
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 11 | -3 | 5 |
| |
5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 4 |
| |
5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 4 |
| |
5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 7 | -7 | 1 |
|
Manager: John McGlynn
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: David Gray
Formation: 3 - 4 - 2 - 1
Manager: John McGlynn
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: David Gray
Formation: 3 - 4 - 2 - 1
Scottish Premiership
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Falkirk are winless in their last 10 top-flight meetings with Hibernian (D4 L6), with this their first since a 3-1 defeat in March 2010. Their last win over Hibs at this level was in December 2006 (2-1).
Hibernian have won both of their last two league meetings with newly promoted opposition, last winning three in a row in the top-flight in October 2012.
Falkirk’s Scottish Premiership games this season have seen 96 shots (51 for, 45 faced), the joint-fewest of any side in the division this term (level with Aberdeen).
Hibernian have drawn five of their last six league games (W1), as many as their previous 22 beforehand (W14 D5 L3). Hibs could draw four successive top-flight matches for the first time since October 2019, when Paul Heckingbottom drew each of his last five league games in charge of the club.
Since the start of May, 11 of Hibernian’s 16 league goals have been scored in the first half of games, the most first-half goals of any Scottish Premiership side in this time. Falkirk, meanwhile, have scored all five of their league goals this season in second halves.