Match ends, Falkirk 0, Queen of the South 0.
FalkirkFalkirk0Queen of SthQueen of the South0
Falkirk recovered from Tuesday's 7-0 League Cup mauling by Ross County to earn a point in a dismal Championship match against Queen of the South.
The Bairns move a point closer to leaders Rangers but there was precious little for the fans to cheer.
A drab first half passed without a single shot on target by either team.
After the interval Falkirk's Bob McHugh had a shot saved by Queens goalkeeper Robbie Thomson and home keeper Danny Rogers had only one effort to save.
While Falkirk boss Peter Houston may view the game as part of their recovery after that hammering in Dingwall and Queens counterpart James Fowler will be grateful of the point, the match was mostly forgettable.
There were only two chances of note in the first 45 minutes.
In the 36th minute Will Vaulks fired a shot from the edge of the box that was bravely blocked by Queens defender Andy Dowie. McHugh gathered the loose ball but his hooked half-volley flew wide.
Five minutes later Vaulks too missed the target as he sent a shot across the face of the Queens goal.
In the 50th minute, McHugh ought to have opened the scoring from seven yards after skilful build-up play by Aaron Muirhead, but he tried to place his shot when one-on-one with Thomson and the visiting goalkeeper made an impressive save.
Throughout the second half Houston tried to jolt his team out of their mediocrity by making three substitutions.
He sent on Blair Alston for McHugh, striker Lee Miller for John Baird and Mark Kerr for Tom Taiwo, while Fowler replaced Alex Harris with Mark Millar. Yet it was hard to see where a goal would come from.
Rogers was called upon for the first time with 20 minutes remaining when he had to rush back to his goal to tip over the bar a speculative cross-come-shot by Lewis Kidd, who had worked a one-two with Gary Oliver down the right wing.
And he was given a fright when Kidd flashed in a superb cross from the right touchline that fizzed across the six-yard line just ahead of his despairing team-mates.
Three shots in the final 10 minutes summed up the match - Falkirk the more ambitious of the two teams but lacking in guile.
First Kerr screwed a shot wide from 18 yards when he had time to pick his spot.
Kerr's effort was followed by Muirhead's shots which rolled to within a few yards of the corner flag on either side of Thomson's untroubled goal.
Line-ups
Falkirk
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Rogers
- 4Muirhead
- 5McCracken
- 14Grant
- 3LeahyBooked at 90mins
- 17Smith
- 7TaiwoSubstituted forKerrat 74'minutes
- 6Vaulks
- 10Sibbald
- 19McHughSubstituted forAlstonat 55'minutes
- 9BairdSubstituted forMillerat 60'minutes
Substitutes
- 8Alston
- 11Kerr
- 12Bowman
- 18Miller
- 20Cooper
- 22Blair
- 44Watson
Queen of Sth
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Thomson
- 4Dowie
- 5Brownlie
- 6HigginsBooked at 90mins
- 23Marshall
- 2Kidd
- 7HarrisSubstituted forMillarat 55'minutes
- 14Jacobs
- 10ConroySubstituted forHuttonat 77'minutes
- 28Oliver
- 9Lyle
Substitutes
- 8Millar
- 16Hutton
- 18Heffernan
- 20Atkinson
- 22Hooper
- 24Smith
- 33Coogans
- Referee:
- George Salmond
- Attendance:
- 3,757
Match Stats
Home TeamFalkirkAway TeamQueen of Sth
- Possession
- Home52%
- Away48%
- Shots
- Home8
- Away4
- Shots on Target
- Home1
- Away0
- Corners
- Home6
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Falkirk 0, Queen of the South 0.
Booking
Luke Leahy (Falkirk) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Luke Leahy (Falkirk).
Post update
Lewis Kidd (Queen of the South) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt missed. Derek Lyle (Queen of the South) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Post update
Attempt missed. Aaron Muirhead (Falkirk) header from the centre of the box is too high following a set piece situation.
Booking
Chris Higgins (Queen of the South) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Craig Sibbald (Falkirk) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Chris Higgins (Queen of the South).
Post update
Corner, Falkirk. Conceded by Andy Dowie.
Post update
Attempt missed. Aaron Muirhead (Falkirk) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Post update
Foul by Lee Miller (Falkirk).
Post update
Gary Oliver (Queen of the South) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Lee Miller (Falkirk) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Chris Higgins (Queen of the South).
Post update
Attempt missed. Mark Kerr (Falkirk) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Mark Millar (Queen of the South) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Substitution
Substitution, Queen of the South. Kyle Hutton replaces Ryan Conroy.
Post update
Foul by Lee Miller (Falkirk).
