Falkirk 1 St. Mirren 2

Last updated : 23 April 2005 By Footymad Previewer

League champions Falkirk suffered their first league defeat at their new stadium when St Mirren came to visit.

The visitors looked the hungrier at the start of the game when Allan Russell came close with a shot that skimmed the right-hand post.

Farlkirk then had a few chances of their own, the first coming from Darryl Duffy when he shot over the cross bar. The next fell to Daniel McBreen, but his shot came off the arms of keeper Craig Hinchcliffe to McBreen again, but this time his effort was cleared off the line by Kevin McGowne.

The opening goal came in the 30th minute when St Mirren's Alan Reid crossed in a ball which found Stewart Kean and he headed on to Kirk Broadfoot, who fired home with a low shot from close range past keeper Allan Ferguson.

Four minutes before the half-time break, the home side equalised when Duffy picked up a pass from Russell Latapy, fought off two defenders and shot low into the net from close range. After the break the visitors had to substitute keepers when Hinchcliffe had to go off and was replaced by Steven Woods.

The visitors went in front in the 68th minute. A defensive error from Neil Scally and Mark Campbell allowed Alan Russell's long-range shot to sail into the Falkirk goal.

This well-deserved win now puts the men from Paisley into second position.