East Fife 1 Falkirk 2: Bairns end Betfred Cup with win

Dylan Mackin nods in his first of the afternoon

The Bairns trailed at the break, for the third time in this tournament, after a nicely struck goal from Anton Dowds gave East Fife a lead on 24 minutes.

But Paul Hartley's side struck back twice in the second half through a Dylan Mackin double to win the match 2-1 and finish group B in second place.

Mackin started very brightly, too, with a couple of early chances. He turned his man and unleashed a shot from 20 yards on four minutes, signalling his early intent.

Dylan Mackin celebrates his second goal.

The striker went close again on 15 minutes, this time his header dropped just wide of the right-hand post.

It was the hosts, though, that made a couple of minutes of pressure pay as they took the lead on 24 minutes.

Lewis Kidd and Ruben Sammut got into a muddle in the middle of the park, with the latter finding East Fife striker Anton Dowds who smashed into the top corner from 20 yards.

Falkirk's best chance of the first period came on 30 minutes. Dennon Lewis took on all comers, before being tackled - but the ball fell for Petravicius whose shot was saved and hooked away.

East Fife went close again on 37 minutes, with Leo Fasan forced to tip Kevin Smith's effort out for a corner.

Deimantas Petravicius had a couple of chances before the half-time whistle sounded, first seeing his effort blocked by Ross Dunlop, and second firing over from the edge of the box after a miscued shot by Ruben Sammut.

Into the second half and Falkirk were much improved and equalised on 49 minutes through Dylan Mackin, nodding home from close range after a corner, with the aid of a slight deflection.

And it was Mackin again to give the Bairns the lead. A mistake at the back from Aaron Dunsmore gifted the ball to Marcus Haber who teed Mackin up to slot into an empty net from a tight angle.

East Fife had the ball in the net on 69 minutes, but the whistle had just gone.

Scott McBride knocked the ball past Leo Fasan, who seemed to have heard the whistle, but the goal was disallowed for a foul in the build up.

Deimantas Petravicius looked lively again, and his ball in on 84 minutes for Tom Owen-Evans was just behind the midfielder as he dragged it wide of the post.

Falkirk held on comfortably in the end, and ended their Betfred Cup campaign with perhaps their best 45 minutes of the tournament.