Falkirk 1-1 Hibernian: Championship promotion hopefuls play out draw

Scottish Championship promotion hopefuls Falkirk and Hibernian claimed a point apiece after drawing 1-1 at the Falkirk Stadium.

Jason Cummings netted for the visitors on Sunday after Blair Alston had given Falkirk the lead in the early stages of the second half, with the point leaving them both five points behind leaders Rangers.

Both teams were industrious in the opening half-hour but neither could create a clear-cut opening as defences dominated.

The Bairns then came close when skipper Will Vaulks stepped on to a reverse pass from Luke Leahy and crashed a swerving drive just wide of Mark Oxley's left upright nine minutes before the break.

Falkirk created the best chance of the half in the 44th minute when Mark Kerr pounced on a poor clearance midway inside the Hibernian half and John Baird slipped a first-time pass into the penalty area for Leahy, but Oxley tipped his powerful drive over the bar.

Seconds after the half-time break, Hibs again struggled to clear the ball from inside the penalty area and Craig Sibbald hit a shot on the turn which Oxley tipped over again.

But Falkirk made the breakthrough on 49 minutes when Baird controlled a low delivery just outside the box and clipped a pass inside to Alston who side-stepped Liam Fontaine and kept his composure to place the ball past the advancing Oxley.

Hibs should have been awarded a penalty just before the hour when substitute Liam Henderson opened up the Falkirk defence and John McGinn was taken out by a sliding challenge from Leahy as he tried to dispatch his shot, but referee John Beaton turned down the appeals.

Cummings finally managed to get a shot away when he tested Danny Rogers at his near post 90 seconds later, but the Falkirk goalkeeper was alert to make the save.

And Cummings again created a yard of space inside the box after Henderson played a quick weighted pass to the striker and his low drive was deflected behind by Peter Grant for a corner.

Hibs levelled the match in the 74th minute when Dylan McGeouch slipped a pass to Darren McGregor on the right side of the Falkirk penalty area and the full-back crashed a low shot which Rogers could only parry and Cummings pounced to blast the rebound high into the net from five yards.

Rogers again denied McGregor when he got down to parry a header from the defender at a Hibernian corner and Grant cleared as Cummings attempted to tuck the rebound away.

The Falkirk 'keeper made an even better save five minutes from time when he blocked a half-volley from Cummings from 10 yards after McGregor lofted the ball over Paul Watson to set up the striker.