Falkirk 2 Dunfermline 0: Far from pretty but SPL strugglers 調書をとる／予約する their place in Europa League

By JOHN GREECHAN
Updated: 01:37 BST, 27 April 2009

So it wasn’t pretty. Do you think the Falkirk fans give a damn? A season that still has the 可能性のある to 非難する the Bairns to relegation from the SPL now comes 保証（人）d with a Scottish Cup Final against Rang ers.

True, John Hughes’ team might be a First 分割 味方する in all but 指名する by the time they return to Hampden on May 30.

If they don’t turn around their league form, the Bairns could easily be a second-tier team when they 代表する Scotland in the Europa League next season.

We're off to Europe: Scott Arfield of Falkirk celebrates his goal

関心s for another day. 同様に as celebrating victory over their 競争相手s from across
the Kincardine 橋（渡しをする）, Falkirk 安全な・保証するd that European 関与 yesterday ― and gave themselves at least a 強打者’s chance of 解除するing a rather nice piece of silverware in the final game of season 2008-09.

A powerful header from Tam Scobbie 早期に in the second half and a late 刑罰，罰則 from Scott Arfield was all it took to see off a poor Dunfermline 味方する who, having punched above their 負わせる just to reach the final four, were all too easily 床に打ち倒すd.

On a day for 長，率いるd goals from left-支援するs, for girding loins and ‘getting the 職業 done’, Falkirk were deserved 勝利者s. Even if it was a far from memorable match or occasion.

半分-決勝戦 are like 約束／交戦 parties at the best of times; they want to be the big occasion, the 十分な-on wedding 歓迎会, but a 欠如（する） of enthusiasm 非難するs them to an altogether いっそう少なく exalted status.

After the 消極的な hype surrounding the build-up to this particular tie, a match between two unglamorous teams 存在 played at an unsuitable 発生地, the 恐れる was that yesterday would feel more akin to some sort of awful wake.

The 支持者s of both teams, though 比較して few in numbers, did create some sort of atmosphere ― a 肉親，親類d of quasi-憎悪 fuelling this わずかに baffling 競争.

Points of etiquette and public order aside, they arguably deserved credit for even feigning excitement during a 比較して turgid first half.

Tommy gun: Falkirk's Thomas Scobbie celebrates his goal against Dunfermline

Falkirk’s superior movement and more 保証するd touch gave them the 早期に advantage, with the 利益s of playing at a higher level every week ― even if they are, to 引用する the taunts of Dunfermline fans, ‘going 負かす／撃墜する, going 負かす／撃墜する, going 負かす／撃墜する’ ― 公正に／かなり obvious.

Not that they were finding it 極端に 平易な to break Dunfermline 負かす／撃墜する, mind. The Fifers may have been a little 不振の in 所有／入手 and occasionally a touch ragged ― but they are nothing if not obdurate.

欠如（する）ing the pace to 損失 defences with one 殺し屋 pass, the SPL 味方する were おもに 制限するd to 成果／努力s from outside the box, starting with a neat bit of 役割 逆転 11 minutes in.

Neil McCann winning a header to 供給する Michael Higdon with a knock-負かす／撃墜する? Whatever 作品 for you. And it nearly did, Higdon’s 権利-footed 発射 from 20 yards 衝突，墜落ing off the 地位，任命する.

Arfield was next to try his luck from long 範囲, his 25-yarder just a bit too straight to really trouble Pars keeper Paul Gallacher, although his 決定／判定勝ち（する） to punch raised a few eyebrows.

What Falkirk really craved was a の近くに-範囲 chance. They got just that four minutes before the break ― but Carl Finnigan couldn’t 変える it, stretching to connect with a bouncing ball six yards out before Gallacher made an excellent point-blank stop.
にもかかわらず their 欠如（する） of bite up 前線, one of the main 推論する／理由s Falkirk are fighting the 減少（する）, the men in dark blue would have deserved their lead.

They did not have long to wait, as it turned out. Eight minutes into the second half, a 解放する／自由な-kick on the 権利 側面に位置する 供給するd the means to 実験（する） the Dunfermline defence.

McCann duly 掴むd the 適切な時期, whipping in a wicked ball that 設立する the 長，率いる of Scobbie. Cue wild celebratio ns, the defender’s moment in the sun capped by the
match day announcer using his Sunday 指名する ― 適切な enough ― of Thomas when 配達するing the gleeful 詳細（に述べる）s to the Bairns fans.

A goal 負かす／撃墜する and struggling to get any 肉親，親類d of passing going, with each 試みる／企てる to build an attack 滞るing on the 激しく揺するs of wayward 配当 or 激しい first touches, Dunfermline needed to change the pattern.

簡単に struggling on, failing to make any 衝撃 against the Falkirk defence, couldn’t be an 選択.

経営者／支配人 Jim McIntyre, unable to magically transform the starting XI? into to a group of
sublime ball players who could pass their way through a minefield with out kicking up a handful of dust, duly threw on Andy Kirk in a 企て，努力，提案 to enliven his team’s attack.

Coming through: Nicky Phinn of Dunfermline 取り組むs Scott Arfield

Kirk didn’t take long to get 伴う／関わるd, playing a pivotal 役割 in a threeman break-out with
Graham Bayne and Jamie Mole that ended with the on-貸付金 Hearts striker panicking just a bit and hitting from long 範囲 when he had 選択s to do so much more.

Mole didn’ t last much longer, 取って代わるd by Rory Loy, who 現実に had a decent chance to equalise 11 minutes from time, his header at 十分な stretch going over.

As little as they had 与える／捧げるd for so much of the game, it now 現実に looked as if Dunfermline might pinch an equaliser.

The more 団体／死体s they threw into a ttack, the more jittery Falkirk became; you can’t spend as long as they have at the foot of a （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する and not be 支配する to a few moments of self-疑問.

All 神経s were settled, however, when Dunfermline 代用品，人 Greg Ross was 有罪の of a clumsy challenge on McCann inside the box. Arfield tucked away the 刑罰，罰則 to send the Falkirk fans wild with jubilation.

They had almost forgotten how it felt.?