Falkirk 1 Motherwell 0

Last updated : 15 November 2008 By Footymad Previewer
Michael Higdon scored his third goal in three games to sink Motherwell at the Falkirk Stadium.

He struck eight minutes from half-time with a superb goal and the Bairns survived a late Motherwell onslaught.

Higdon is enjoying a purple patch to prevent Falkirk from getting the blues. The striker was clearly in the mood from the early stages. He tested Graeme Smith early on with a header from a Dean Holden cross, but the goalkeeper saved comfortably.

There was a let-off for Falkirk when Holden failed to deal with a header from John Sutton, but he managed to shepherd the past the post before Dave Clarkson could take advantage.

Higdon had another chance at the other end after Steve Lovell knocked the ball back to him but he pulled his 15-yard shot well wide.

Motherwell responded and Sutton pounced on some poor control from Darren Barr at the edge of his own area but he did not get hold of his left-foot shot and Scott Flinders was untroubled.

Clarkson had a much better effort moments later when he was left unguarded on the right and cut inside to fire a venomous shot at Flinders, which the goalkeeper took two attempts to hold.

Marc Fitzpatrick wasted the best chance of the first half for Motherwell when he saw his initial shot blocked by Lee Bullen and then sent his follow-up wide from only eight yards.

Falkirk took the lead eight minutes from the break with a well-constructed goal. Scott Arfield played the ball wide to Graham Barrett and the Irishman swung the ball over first time for Higdon to bring it down and steer a low shot past Smith from the edge of the area.

Sutton fashioned himself an opening at the start of the second half when, with four defenders around him, he still managed to find a way through, but Flinders beat out his shot.

It was an open game and Barrett stooped to send a header at Smith from a deep cross from Holden.

The striker should have made it 2-0 after 59 minutes when Smith saved his shot with his left boot, before Barrett struck the outside of the post after Motherwell dithered in defence.

Burton O'Brien then sent Lovell scampering clear but he lobbed the ball over the top with Smith racing out of his goal.

Flinders saved well from substitute Chris Porter late on as Mark McGhee's side laid siege to Falkirk's goal.

Time and time again a Falkirk boot was there at the last gasp to prevent Motherwell from having another clear sight of Flinders and the home side held on.