59
mins
Defender Grant Murray swung over a cross from the right which was met perfectly by the head of Danny Invincible, but the Aussie's effort got the slightest of touches from Falkirk's Dutch goalkeeper Jeroen Lambers and the ball came off the post. Kilmarnock were already looking a lot more decisive than they did in last week's defeat at Dundee United and a couple of minutes later they again came close, Allan Johnston's header being tipped over the bar.
Falkirk, however, are also a potent force on any given day and that point was rammed home when a cross on the left from on-loan Arsenal youngster Anthony Stokes found Stephen O'Donnell unmarked in the box, but his header skimmed the top of the woodwork.
A wicked drive from the boot of Garry Hay appeared a winner all the way for Kilmarnock until it received a deflection off O'Donnell 11 minutes before the break and shortly afterwards O'Donnell was booked by referee Charlie Richmond for apparently taking a dive in the penalty box. Killie's Peter Leven was unlucky as he whirled round deep inside the box but his shot went inches past and worse was to follow when Stokes hit his 12th goal of the season for Falkirk with a shot from 20 yards out which got a deflection off Hay, spinning over the head of the helpless Smith.
But it was the visitors who almost opened
the scoring three minutes later, with Steven Thomson
clipping the top of the crossbar after an Anthony
Stokes cross.
Kilmarnock were soon back in their opponents' half, but Grant Murray wasted a decent opportunity when his cross was way too deep for three Killie players waiting in the box.
Graeme Smith was called into action for the first time in the 21st minute when he pushed away a shot from Russell Latapy.
Invincibile was almost clear from a Johnston pass but Jack Ross cleared the danger.
Stokes then found himself in the clear after 28 minutes, but blasted the ball wide from 15 yards.
Three minutes later the Falkirk defence had a let-off when Johnston's shot was blocked en route to goal before Invincibile's effort at the back post was deflected away for a corner.
Another deflection in the 35th minute came to Falkirk's rescue, with Garry Hay's 20-yard shot coming off Thomson for a corner.
Falkirk midfielder O'Donnell earned the first booking in the 39th minute seconds before Leven shot just wide for Kilmarnock.
But, three minutes before the interval, in-form Stokes fired the Bairns ahead.
The on-loan Arsenal forward fired goalwards from 20 yards and his effort deflected off Killie defender Gordon Greer to send Smith in the wrong direction.
Within a minute of the restart Stokes
almost doubled his side's lead.
He found himself clear 15 yards from goal but this time Smith stood his ground and blocked the shot.
Another wicked deflection after 49 minutes saw the ball rebound off the Kilmarnock upright with Smith well beaten.
After 53 minutes, Naismith looked to have set up an opportunity for Nish but the striker lost control and the chance was gone.
Killie were pushing for the equaliser at this stage and a good move down the right ended with Lambers saving Naismith's header.
Falkirk looked dangerous on the break with Latapy pulling the strings in midfield.
However, Kilmarnock got back on level
terms with a cracking goal in the 59th minute when
Leven's cross was only partially cleared by the
Falkirk defence.
Garry Hay ran in unchallenged and scored with a rasping drive from the edge of the box. This was "Hooky's" first goal since Dec 2001.
Kilmarnock then took the lead in the 72nd minute, courtesy of an own-goal from O'Donnell.
The midfielder got his head to a Leven free-kick as the ball flew into the net. Fraser Wright had pressured him into making this costly mistake!
Latapy had a chance to equalise when he took a free-kick 22 yards out, but hit his shot against the Kilmarnock wall.
In the 74th minute, O'Donnell was taken off and replaced by John Stewart.
Naismith forced his way into the Falkirk box but his pass across the face of Lambers' goal found no takers.
A Cregg free-kick put the home defence under pressure but Fraser Wright's header cleared the danger.
But the game ended in dramatic fashion when Nish was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for diving in the box.
Sandy's Match Pic's are HERE
