HIBERNIAN 2
Riordan 34, 88

FALKIRK 0
(HT 1-0)
Attendance: 13,305
Scottish Premier League

The striker hit goals either side of the interval to consign the Bairns to their seventh defeat of the season.

Head coach Eddie named the same starting 11 that claimed Falkirk's first SPL win of the season seven days previously, against Hamilton, while Alex MacDonald returned from injury to take his place on the bench.

But there was no sign of new-signing Toufik Zerara, the 23-year-old French midfielder who has penned a deal until January, as international clearance had not come through in time for kick-off.

Ex-Bairns boss John Hughes, meanwhile, who was on a eight-game unbeaten run, included the potent threat of Anthony Stokes, Colin Nish and Riordan up front. But it was the visitors who threatened first.

Danijel Marceta, switched to left midfield, won a free-kick 25 yards from goal and Chris Mitchell, who scored from a similar set-piece against Accies, albeit on the opposite side, hit a powerful shot narrowly over the bar.

What is usually a very open game between the two sides at Easter Road continued in the same vein and, 60 seconds later, David Wotherspoon was desperately unlucky not to find the target when he volleyed a deep cross goalward.

Hibs threatened again in the 13th minute as the game continued apace and Nish headed just past the left post after connecting with a Riordan cross. Brian Allison and Brian McLean then each produced good blocks to deny Riordan and a neat one-two between Nish and Merouane Zemmama ended with Robert Olejnik saving the latter's low drive.

Falkirk were holding their own, though, and Vitor Lima tried his luck from 25 yards but the ball skidded past Graham Stack's right post.

However, the home side really should have opened the scoring in the 25th minute. Ian Murray got a fortunate break of the ball down the left flank and worked his way into the box before laying off for Nish. He had all the time to pick his spot but dallied too long and his shot was deflected wide by Mitchell.

Pedro Moutinho then combined with Carl Finnigan at the other end yet the Geordie striker was off target with his angled effort. May soon made his first change, bringing on MacDonald for Marceta for tactical reasons, and within three minutes Falkirk had the ball into the back of the net. Wotherspoon initially cleared Finnigan's shot off the line and it broke to Darren Barr on the bye-line. The Bairns skipper hit it back into the fold and Ryan Flynn fired home from six yards. However, the linesman had already flagged for a corner, despite the protestations of the visitors.

Hibs did take the lead shortly afterwards, though. Zemmama, on the right, played a deep cross to the back post and Riordan hit a volley, which took a deflection off McLean, past the diving Olejnik and into the bottom right corner.

The Austrian keeper was on top form two minutes later, somehow clawing away a powerful Nish header from six yards - again after a Riordan cross - that could well have ended the game as a contest. Nish still claimed it crossed the line, but the referee waved play on.

Flynn had a half-chance to level the scores, seconds before the first half came to an end, but his deft flick on from Mitchell's cross crept agonisingly past the left post.

Hughes replaced goalkeeper Stack with Yves Ma-Kalambay for the start of the second half, the English minder struggling with an existing back problem in the opening 45 minutes.

Yet it was Olejnik who was almost immediately called into action until McLean, lying on the ground after a previous challenge, stuck out a boot to deflect Zammama's shot from the edge of the box wide.

Falkirk were by no means out of it, though, and started to enjoy more possession as the game proceeded. And it was Moutinho, despite receiving little service up until that point, who almost grabbed an equaliser in the 58th minute. Flynn sent the Portuguese forward free on the right and he hit a deft angled chip from 20 yards over the back-tracking Ma-Kalambay but the keeper still managed to finger-tip the ball onto the bar and over for a corner.

MacDonald found his way into Somers' book in the 67th minute for a completely needless trip on Murray, which was the product of sheer frustration after the young player lost possession in midfield.

A double Hibs substitution followed with Darren McCormack replacing Stokes and Abdessalam Benjelloun going on for Zemmama, while Lee Bullen was put up front for Falkirk and Finnigan came off.

And the veteran defender almost made an instant impact when he chased down a back pass to Ma-Kalambay and was inches away from connecting until the keeper produced an audacious trick before managing to clear.

Marc Twaddle became the third Bairns sub with 10 minutes remaining as the tiring Moutinho came off and a free-kick, 25 yards out, won moments later, was hit over by Mitchell. Falkirk continued to push and Bullen piled on the pressure with relentless running. One such effort seemed to have won him a corner, but the linesman decided otherwise and Bullen's complaints earned him a yellow card.

However, while Hibs had hardly threatened throughout the majority of the second half, they hit the Bairns on the counter-attack in the dying minutes. Wotherspoon darted up the right wing and his diagonal pass carved open the visitors' defence, picking out Riordan who took one touch before smashing the ball past Olejnik and into the back of the net from 12 yards.

The result kept Falkirk in bottom spot in the SPL table, on eight points – one behind Kilmarnock, who lost 2-1 to Hearts and a further one off the pace of Hamilton after their 1-1 draw with St Johnstone. Next weekend Rangers, in second following their defeat at Pittodrie, are the visitors to Westfield (kick-off 12.30 p.m.).

EDDIE MAY: "Derek Riordan was the difference between the sides. He scored two fantastic goals, but when it comes to any game of football we will always be there or thereabouts.

"We have a very young team and, slowly and surely, we are getting things right. We've played against teams a lot higher than us in the standings recently and have done well. So I am sure we will get there eventually."


FALKIRK: Olejnik, Allison, Barr, McLean, Mitchell, Marceta (MacDonald 27), Lima, Arfield, Flynn, Moutinho (Twaddle 80), Finnigan (Bullen 70)
NOT USED: Wagenaar (GK), Pele, Murdoch, Bloom
BOOKED: MacDonald 67, Bullen 86

HIBERNIAN: Stack (Ma-Kalambay 45), Hogg, Murray, Bamba, Miller, Wotherspoon, Rankin, Zemmama (Benjelloun 69), Stokes (McCormack 69), Riordan, Nish
NOT USED: Cregg, Stevenson, Galbraith, Byrne
BOOKED: Murray 89

REFEREE: David Somers