SPFL Premiership Play-Off Final, 1st Leg Sportscene

It's unbelievable! It's a spectacular opening goal in the

derby. The shot is a beauty. A chance... Is this a bit of history?

It is! It's there! What a finish! That is it! Welcome to Sportscene.

The Premiership Play-off Final, Falkirk and Kilmarnock duelling it

out for a place in the top flight of Scottish football next season.

Agonising drama for the clubs involved.

Great entertainment for the rest of us.

Here with us tonight to review the first instalment,

Kilmarnock floundering for form in the Premiership.

In contrast, Falkirk on the crest of a wave after that thrilling

But how would the first leg of the final turn out?

Watching for us at the Falkirk Stadium, Craig Paterson

Peter Houston names the side that started against Hibs.

Craig Sibbald celebrated his 21st birthday yesterday. A belated

present is his 200th Falkirk appearance. Josh Magennis misses out

because of a hamstring injury in a blow to Lee Clark.

Lee Ashcroft is preferred to Conrad Balatoni at the heart of the

defence. The referee for tonight's first leg

is 34-year-old John Beaton. It is his third visit here this season.

Falkirk have drawn the other two against Hibernian a Raith Rovers.

Only one of these two clubs, these two old clubs, will be playing

Premiership football next season. Difficult to predict this one? Yes.

Falkirk have had a really sound season. Kilmarnock up-and-down. When

Killie play they can be a match for anyone. Killie play on. Slater's

ball. This is Obadeyi. A couple waiting in the middle. Cleared by

McCracken. He had a bit of time there. If his first touch was

better, he should have got a far better delivery into the box.

That might have been an important touch from Rogers. This is a really

bright start by the Premiership side. That is the first real test

for the Falkirk rear guard. Awkward ball for the goalkeeper. Falkirk

manage to scramble it clear. Rogers does well. He managed to flick it

beyond the far post and Kris Boyd is unlucky, he could have found Greg

Kiltie there. Falkirk barely touched the ball in the opening

seven-and-a-half minutes. Baird attacking Ashcroft. That's better.

That might light the fire under Falkirk. They are playing, at the

moment, within themselves. What a goal Luke Leahy scored. Had Lee

Miller been on the pitch, he might have had a better chance of getting

on the end of that. There is nothing wrong with that ball in. It is

fizzed into a great area and nobody was making up the ground at the back

post. He is a talented individual, is Luke Leahy.

Jamie MacDonald skippering Kilmarnock tonight. Gary Dicker. A

chance for Slater to run. Ambitious. He had a lot of options there, but

decided to pull the trigger. He is capable from this kind of distance.

A lot of blue jersies up in support. Spring showers on the border of

Falkirk and Grangemouth. Craig Sibbald for Falkirk, looking

for McHugh. The rain tumbles down. Alston, gets it on to the right foot

and he forces a save out of Jamie MacDonald. A comfortable one, but at

least they forced the Kilmarnock keeper into some work. That better

from Falkirk, getting into an area where they look at that Kilmarnock

goal. Craig Slater. Still they press. No way through as

yet, though. As much possession have Kilmarnock have had, they haven't

unduly threatened Danny Rogers. Just that one ball in earlier on which

Boyd tried to steer home at the back post.

Gary Dicker. Looking for Boyd, who is offside.

Just the six goals for Kris Boyd this season. He's just off. Good

defending from Falkirk. A really good line. The linesman, who is

right in line, gets that right, just off. It's been a regular feature for

Lee Clark since he took over, Kris Boyd. He almost single-handedly kept

Kilmarnock up in the top-flight two years ago before he went back for a

second spell at Rangers. Bob McHugh. Two were over it. It almost fell to

Craig Sibbald. Sibbald goes down. Goal kick only. The referee says he

slipped. A decent ball in from Mark Kerr. The first time to Kilmarnock

defenders don't deal with it. Sibbald was trying to get there...

Yeah, he goes down far too easily. He gets there before the defender

and you can see him going down before there was any contact at all.

The referee was in a good position. The referee is spot on.

Free kick. To the displeasure of everyone of a Falkirk persuasion.

It's won in the air by Ashcroft, but John Beaton didn't like what he was

seeing in the box. That evens the score. How often do you see a

controversial decision going one way, and from the next set-piece it

goes the other? You said it. That's lovely play by Bob McHugh.

Spilt by MacDonald and Baird can't follow up. Great play out wide by

Bob McHugh. Cuts in, gets a look at goal, fires in the shot, comes off

the keeper and John Baird can't get over it. Wonderful play from McHugh.

John Baird should have scored. Obadeyi, lovely ball. Obadeyi looks

in the mood tonight. Rory McKenzie pulled it back and Kris Boyd had

moved into the penalty area, along with Craig Slater.

Alston has taken it on nicely. Brilliant ball across as well. Well

defended. That was a difficult ball to deal with. Blair Alston sticks it

in that channel between defenders and goalkeeper. That is really good

defending by the big centre-back. There is Josh Magennis and Steven

Smith out injured. Smith, a long-term injury, of course. Craig

Sibbald. Ashcroft preventing a corner. He's managed to find Kiltie.

There has been some better play from Falkirk in the last ten minutes. It

is not the Falkirk way. They want to pass. They want Mark Kerr dictating

things. But Peter Houston saw it wasn't working, he's changed it, and

this looks far better. More direct. Sibbald. In from Leahy. This is

McHugh. Sibbald! His former team-mate MacDonald

snuffs it out. A poor final ball in. Lee Clark has seen his side's

stranglehold on this game diminish. The hosts are seeing more of it.

Jamie MacDonald has come an awful long way. He made his decision,

Addison could have dealt with it, left it, and MacDonald just got

there. I don't think the manager wants his goalkeeper out there.

O'Hara. What was he doing there? He had a

warning before he gave the ball away that Craig Sibbald was nipping at

his heels. Now, it is John Baird. Now it's a Falkirk corner, all

because of sloppy play from Mark O'Hara. Falkirk's second corner of

the evening will be taken by Alston. Deep again. Baird's there. And now

it is with MacDonald. He's done some job, Peter Houston. Guided Falkirk

to second place in the Championship. They lost fewer games than champions

Rangers across the campaign. This is Obadeyi up the other end. It's a

lovely run from him. He keeps his feet. Just too much on it for Kris

Boyd. I wonder if he goes down there, what is the referee thinking?

Penalty? This is Dicker. The pressure will remain on Falkirk

here as we approach the break. , that is a day. Treacherous,

nowhere near the ball. Mark Kerr get it to McCue. Good

movement by Falkirk. Great play by bird. Well, he saw the headlines and

went himself. He moves on to a stronger right foot. Looks up, takes

it on. Good play. When he gets out wide to create the space, he was way

off. What is he thinking? There were second best at the start of the game

and now they have fought back and the possession is more or less equal

between the sides but I think it is the home side who wants to play on

the front foot. There is no injury time, no time for

the cross. It has been a largely frustrating first half for Peter

Houston and his Falkirk side. Kilmarnock beginning the brighter

with Jamie MacDonald having to pull off a save to deny Bob McEwen. And

then on the rebound, Beard knocked the ball over the bar. -- Bob

McHugh. That was the best chance in a low-key first half. No changes at

half-time for either manager. Falkirk have lost just once in their

last 14, at home to Livingston. This is a bit of a snoozefest. They have

been outside of the top flight for some time. Kilmarnock have not been

a -- had been a top-flight side since 1983, 23 straight seasons.

They will not want that to end any time soon. Away by Addison. This

time the ball was not allowed to bounce. Obadeyi gives chase. He has

lots to do. It goes to Leahy. The ball was taken by Luke Leahy. I

thought but I knew had given Luke Leahy two biggest art. -- I thought

Robert he had given him too big a start. A big chance for Kelly.

Ashcroft has joined the party, right in front of the Kilmarnock

supporters. Brought in by Craig Slater, capable of a deadly death

ball. Partially cleared. And this is Kris Boyd but he is offside. It took

an eternity to come down. I thought he was going to pull the trigger

earlier than that. He was trying to come out there. Maybe he is offside.

Just six inches. Two wins in their last 14 for Kilmarnock. Just one

loss in their last 14 for Falkirk. And it is Obadeyi! Almost turned

into his own net by McCracken. It was a lovely through ball. Obadeyi

does the right thing. McCracken has to defend that and he is a lucky

man. Just wide. How often do you see them deflected into the net? Rather

than the side netting. Obadeyi used as a decoy. Kris Boyd!

And Craig Sibbald is very much in the right place at the right time.

This was brilliant. A clever free kick. Boyd does so well. But Craig

Sibbald refused to move off the line, holding his position and just

as well. Great defending. Kris Boyd is cursing Craig Sibbald. The finish

was excellent. Brilliant defending. I wonder when Peter Houston will

look at his options. And here is Obadeyi. Kilmarnock have been

looking good in the last few minutes. Obadeyi was not attacked

well enough. To be fair to Greg Kiltie, he got in off the left wing.

Falkirk's point accumulation this season is just five from what took

them up as champions last time they were promoted. And here comes

Kilmarnock with Obadeyi, who is in. It is a big chance gone for

Kilmarnock. That has got to go down as a sitter. It was a prude back

toucher which gotten past the goalkeeper. It was a really weak

finish. Great timing and pace but now unique composure. That was the

bad touch. He had done the hard bit. Chances do not come any better.

McKenzie gets it from Slater. Still plenty in the middle here. He will

take the corner. This is a really good period of this game for

Kilmarnock. When you are on top you want to hurt the opposition. They

scored a couple in the first leg of the semi. Here comes Rory Mackenzie.

Good invention again from a corner kick. It was a clever one that led

to the chance for Kris Boyd. He had a lot of time to size it up. It

could've been better. It is allowed to bounce from Vaulks this time. And

here is Beard. -- here is John Beard. A good little spell for

Falkirk. He has done well. Jamie MacDonald, what an opportunity that

was for Falkirk. Jamie MacDonald gets out of jail. Not like him to

make the mistake. You have to credit the defenders for staying on their

toes. And here is Bob McHugh. John beard. -- John Baird. And it falls

again for Rory Mackenzie. Obadeyi gives it away. Supposed to Luke

Leahy. Back to Luke Leahy. This is promising for the bearings. -- the

Bairns. Well past. It was hairy for Falkirk there. I think it was Lee

Ashcroft that bailed him out. John Baird with a great ball in. I would

have expected Jamie MacDonald to deal with that. Not quite tall

enough, and his defender does really well.

A yellow card for Tope Obadeyi. The first booking of the night. The ball

goes up and he just jumped into them. I am not sure it merits a

booking. To say the play-off system is weighted heavily on the

Premiership side's favour, the same goes for the bookings. Vaulks and

Muirhead booking away. Two bookings in the play-off system and you miss

the next one. Kilmarnock do not have that problem, just the final to

play. Falkirk launching an attack. Bob McHugh getting on the end of it,

and John Baird there as well. John Baird does quite well. A decent

touch. He cannot hit the target. The arm is up, but it is a wrestling

match between the three. As we go into the final 20 minutes, it is

fair to say we will not be getting anywhere near the drama levels we

got here in the semifinal second leg. And there is Rory Mackenzie

with a brilliant all in. Rogers the is his area. --, and is his area.

Swinging away from him. I wonder if Peter Houston is

thinking about making a change. Luke Leahy... Proving that they do not

need a Lee Miller on. That was a painful one. And there is a yellow

card coming out for Mark Kerr. It looked like he slipped. He went

clattering into him. Mark O'Hara thumped into him. I don't know what

the referee thought he saw. But that is just wrong. It is not going to be

that costly for Mark Kerr unless he picks up a second yellow between now

and full-time. That is a ludicrous decision. But it could cost you. As

I say, I am not sure where the referee was, whether any of his

assistants could help out. Rory Mackenzie has lots of time. He

has ended up giving it back to the bearings. And in return, they have

given it back to him. -- the Bairns. Muirhead was taking no chances. Only

one option, to get it behind for the corner kick. This latest one to be

taken by Craig Slater. And there is a huge shout for handball there.

Kilmarnock supporters and players in Unison. Well worked back out to the

left bank for Slater. Just taking that corner. And backing it. Kris

Boyd! And there was Danny Rogers. He should back past, ten times out of

ten. He went for power and it went straight to the keeper. And here is

the shout for handball. Plenty of time in the Falkirk after.

That was Boyd. What a save! Obadeyi would have been offside anyway.

Danny Rogers saves from Kris Boyd. It was a great ball in. Just

offside. A wonderful ball with plenty of pace. A good header and a

great save. It has been a long season. One last effort for these

two on Sunday. Nothing between them on the night here in the first leg.

Not yet. It took a deflection there. Jamie

MacDonald was not sure. He does the right thing, the goalkeeper, just

make sure you get it wide. Nervy times for Killie as Vaulks

throws it in. It bounces. Falkirk are not allowing anybody to get a

head on that. But the form that Bob McHugh is in, you would not be

surprised. There is no flag here. McKenzie.

Kris Boyd! Another chance. I'm surprised he doesn't hit the target.

McKenzie holds it up, sets it up for him. It is in between his feet but

you expect him to work the goalkeeper from there. He has to

generate a lot of power, but he cuts across it.

And there is a chance here for Falkirk to swing it into the danger

area into the only minute of stoppage-time. It gives Falkirk a

chance to put one last ball into the box.

A nailbiter here. Sibbald, back to Vaulks! It's gone in! They have done

it again. Somersaults from Will Vaulks. Falkirk have scored in

stoppage-time once more! Incredible! They keep producing the goods.

Kilmarnock switch off. It is a clever, quick free kick, and Will

Vaulks' effort, it goes through a ruck of players, may have gone right

through Jamie MacDonald. Good cut-back. Vaulks hits the target.

It's in the back of the net. What a time to score again for Falkirk.

They have just got that knack, don't they? Will Vaulks scores his eighth

goal of the season and it could go a long, long way to hoisting them back

to the big time. They draw the first blood of the

play-off final in the very last seconds of the first leg. A massive

moment from Will Vaulks. They will do it again in Ayrshire on Sunday.

Falkirk will go there with something to defend. Kris Boyd will go home

tonight with plenty to think about. He had a host of chances. He didn't

take them. Will Vaulks snapped up his. And it is advantage to the

Championship side. They will do it all again at Rugby Park at the

weekend. Falkirk 1, Kilmarnock 0. Vaulks is the hero this time.

A fantastic victory for Falkirk on the night. After the match, both

managers spoke to our senior football reporter. I felt probably

fortunate to win 1-0 tonight. Killie were good in spells. Right from the

start, we wanted to put them under pressure, but the opposite happened.

They got a foot in the game. Even saying that, our players showed

great character to keep going. What is the main emotion after that?

Frustration, certainly with the awful goal we have give away. In the

game, we didn't deserve to lose it. We were the team that should have

won it. We are a goal behind in a two-leg tie. We have it all to do at

home. We can do it. Did you switch off? Absolutely. It is a dreadful

goal. We switched off in more areas. We weren't in a good shape from the

goalkeeper's kick. We give a cheap foul away. From the free kick, it

was dreadful play all round. There was a lack of quality and a lack of

quality came from nervousness. That is what can happen in big football

matches. There is so much at stake, (a) for Kilmarnock, who don't want

to be relegated and (b), for us who want to get there. We have to pass

the ball better. We don't need to chase the game. We look forward to

it and hopefully the guys can do it. A penalty shout that wasn't given?

It is a foul. Personally, the player hasn't gone down. It hasn't been

given. I never advocate my players diving unnecessarily. It seems to me

by that decision, that that is what we have to do to get them. I'll

still not do it. That is the way I have been brought up. It is up to

the powers-that-be that change their ways. Tom English, a deserved

advantage? They got a bit lucky tonight. Kilmarnock were decent in

the match. They made a number of chances. The resilience of Falkirk

is incredible. It's the tenth time this season they have scored a goal

beyond the 90th minute. Pat, it wasn't a thrill a minute, it was

pretty poor in the first half. Why was that? A case of nerves? There

was nervousness there. When you get the rain on that surface, it is

tough. Having shots like that, you wouldn't do that. Bad touches when

you are in a half decent position. The rain is hammering down. Simple

passing, that sort of thing happened consistently. When you have got

time, don't pass it out of the park. It was a hard watch. Yes. There was

a lot of anxiety. They were charging around like mad dogs in a meat

house! At the end of the half, the first bit of class... A glimmer. A

player went past another player. That gave us hope. I have to say, it

was a hell of a lot better in the second half. John Baird with that

bit of quality towards the end. We have to talk about the two

mouth-watering penalty incidents, Tom. The first one. Falkirk... Craig

Sibbald goes down. Not a lot in it. Not a lot in it at all. He has a

hand on his shoulder, but that is not a penalty. Keep your eye on the

hand on the shoulder. This angle, had he seen it from that angle, to

be honest, I'm not shouting for a penalty kick there. Tom, you said

earlier on, he is on his way down. However... This one. This one is a

really interesting one. I think the player is right, Obadeyi is right to

stay on his feet. The referee is wrong not to give the penalty. Pat?

If he goes down, he will get a penalty. I would love to applaud Lee

Clark for his words there. Morally correct, saying, I'm not going to

ask my players to go down. There was contact. If there is contact in the

box... The other question, should it have been brought back and the

advantage shouldn't have been played? There is a good argument for

that. It is a tough call. It's a classic example of why players dive.

They need to convince the ref? It is not encouraging a player to have a

bit of integrity. He will be ridiculed for not diving. We have to

move on. John Baird, 19 goals this season. He was a menace to

Kilmarnock tonight? He is a good player. He's scored a lot of goals.

There you go, that is a tough one. That is a tough chance. They were

living off scraps for a long time, Falkirk. They were second best. Good

tenacity here. Yes, listen, he is a fighter. He is a handful. Falkirk

attack down the right-back position a lot. They got a bit of joy out of

it. Kilmarnock defended well apart from the nightmare at the end.

Another striker, Kris Boyd, Pat, if you give him chances, he will score.

He came close? He did. I think he played quite well, particularly in

the second half. This was worked well. Have a look at this, when he

turns, before he shoots, Sibbald on the line there, you shouldn't be

there. You should be out in a line with your defenders. He is not a

hero... Until... What a save on the line. Technically, you are shouting

at him, get out, get out! His magic boots are telling him to stay where

he was! If it goes to one of the Kilmarnock players, he's played

everybody on. I'm delighted for him. Sibbald is a fabulous player. Boyd

again, you are thinking you would bet your house on him. Boyd played

well. He was unlucky. Could he have knocked it across goal? He is

entitled to have a go at that. Boyd has scored two goals from play this

season. That is a header of a guy who is not used to scoring. If you

are going to be ultra-harsh, you head it down on the ground. Tope

Obadeyi - we saw the good and not so good, Tom. Yes, listen, he was full

of running tonight. He got on the ball a lot. This is a cross. A bit

of air on that, they could have got a bit of joy. He slides it along the

deck. A bit of air... He's got a lot of attributes... Here we go, this is

his moment in the sun, only it isn't! Two poor touches. He has

three goals in 34 matches. It was a great chance. I was going to make

the excuse the surface is hard to... He's got power, strength, a decent

amount of skill. That touch in extreme situations that you need for

a striker, he's not at the top level for that. That is why he is playing

with Kilmarnock. Then a classic Falkirk move at the death. As Lee

Clark mentioned, it is shocking defending? If you look at Sibbald,

he is in the box. The amount of time he's left there. O'Hara... Somebody

has to go and get him in the box. We play it on. If you look at it,

surely somebody has got him now. Surely. What? You have left him that

amount of time? That is a bad mistake. That is a mad amount of

time he gets there. Again, Sibbald, he's got the knowledge and the

vision to not to thump the ball in. He's given him the eyes. Yes.

Sibbald seems to have been around for years, Tom. He is such an

important player. This is such an important moment for Falkirk?

Listen, he's been terrific. He's 21. 200 appearances. Knocks one off the

line. Sets up the winner. He's been a very good player. We should talk

about the scorer as well. Vaulks is showing off there. That is

impressive. That's a 5.9! They are incredible, Falkirk. It is like one

of these B-movies that you watch at 2.00 in the morning. They are never

quite dead! You are thinking, right, we are 1-0 up, you think you are

going to lose a goal so you get nervous against them. That works for

them psychologically. Will Vaulks deserved the celebration there. The

question has to be, Tom, can Kilmarnock bounce back from this? I

think they will be encouraged when they look at it again. They will be

encouraged that they created a number of chances. Falkirk show

incredible resilience, but they do concede goals. Tonight they got away

with it. They are good enough to get themselves out of a hole. It is

strong advantage to Falkirk now. Absolutely. Pat, one view that

Falkirk fans might have, the sheer number of games they have had to

play. A high against Hibs, but that will have taken energy from the side

as well? This is one of the few times this season I think Falkirk

have been in the position to be favourites. All the time they have

been coming from behind, no pressure on you, lads, just keep on doing

what you are doing. They have lost four games in the league this

season. So a phenomenal run. Even before tonight, before they were a

goal up, a lot of people were saying, we think you are favourites.

Can they handle that side of it? They are capable of doing it. They

have a manager who knows how to do it as well. What they have, they are

a very physically fit team. They are scoring all these goals late. Ten

goals beyond the 90th minute. 20 goals in the last 11 minutes of

games. Mentally fit. You have to be mentally fit to keep going into 95

minutes and they have done it game after game. There is another thing

you can put on top of that. The belief that you get from that. As I

was saying, Peter Houston adapts the tactics time and time again. Little

changes near the end. Sometimes going one-touch into the box. The

long throws are fantastic. He changes it every now and again. Just

at the right times, so it is not luck. You think it is luck. It is

not luck. He knows what he is doing. Thank you very much indeed.

Falkirk with the advantage, but which side will be playing

Join us for highlights of the second leg at 11.00pm on BBC One.

Before that, the small matter of the Scottish Cup Final.

Sportscene with the whole match live on BBC One from 1.00pm

A huge weekend of action as this season draws to a

Whether you're a Falkirk fan, a Kilmarnock fan, a Hibs

fan, a Rangers fans - or none of the above -

Until Saturday, from all of us, goodnight.