Falkirk 3-2 Montrose: Callumn Morrison wondergoal at the death earns Bairns massive three points

After a tepid opening period, the first real chance of the match fell the way of the home side on 11 minutes, with Liam Henderson seeing a header from Brad Spencer’s well-taken corner kick crash off the crossbar.

Up the other end, only three minutes later, it was then the visitors shot to see an effort hit the upright, with Craig Brown’s long range effort nearly catching out Sam Long in the Falkirk net.

Stewart Petrie’s side, who came into the match having won four matches on the spin, were holding their own against the Bairns, with Aidan Quinn also going close. The defender was perfectly found from a corner kick in front of goal but his header hit the side-netting.

Striker Kane Hester also forced Long into an excellent stop down low to deny him the opener after the ball came to him in the six-yard box.

On the half hour mark, Coll Donaldson thought he had his first goal of the campaign when he unleashed a power drive from 30-odd yards out. His excellent long range effort just missed Cammy Gill’s right-hand post.

Ross MacIver then forced Gill into a decent save from an impossible angle, latching onto Callumn Morrison’s deep cross to the back post and angling a header towards goal.

Just before the break, Falkirk were handed a huge chance to take the lead when a square pass was intercepted by substitute Gary Oliver with Montrose pushing forward.

He did well to play the ball in behind the visiting backline to the on-rushing Alfredo Agyeman, but his effort across the goalkeeper didn’t have enough purchase and drifted out of play.

In the second half, the visitors struck early to take the lead, with Blair Lyons driving into the box and beating two men before slotting home into the far corner of the net.

The Bairns quickly looked for an equaliser, with MacIver forcing Gill into another decent stop down, after he did well to direct Morrison’s low cross towards goal.

They should have been level on 57 minutes when Tom Lang saw a header from a corner kick clawed out by Gill, who did superbly well to get down and ensure the ball didn’t cross the line.

John McGlynn’s men were putting the pressure on, with Donaldson also going close, glancing a header just by the far post from Spencer’s near-post free kick delivery.

An equaliser finally came on 61 minutes, with Oliver reacting quickest in the box to poke home from close range after Agyeman’s shot was pushed back into a dangerous area by Gill.

The Bairns then took the lead ten minutes later from the penalty spot. Montrose were at sixes and sevens looking for play to be stopped with Hester down, but Falkirk broke up the pitch and got into the box, with Spencer being tripped by Dillon as he looked to shoot.

Morrison, who netted last time out from the spot against Kelty Hearts, struck his effort into Gill’s right-hand post, giving the stopper no chance.

Falkirk were then dealt a killer blow, when referee George Calder handed the visitors a spot kick of their own on 85 minutes.

Blair Lyons did well to draw in Long, who tripped the winger as he looked to create a shooting angle, with the foul looking like it had actually been committed outside of the area.

Montrose ace Graham Webster calmly slotted the penalty away to tie the match, with the Bairns looking like they would lose top spot for the week to Hamilton Accies ahead of the two meeting next weekend.

But, in injury-time, Morrison popped up with a moment of magic to win the match for Falkirk. He picked up the ball 25-yards from goal and fired home a goal of the season contender, giving Gill no chance as his effort flew into the top corner.

Teams

Falkirk: Long, Yeats, Lang, Donaldson, McCann, Henderson, Spencer, Nesbitt, Morrison (71’), Agyeman, MacIver.

Subs: Hogarth, Sinclair, Bisland, Lawal, Ross, Oliver (61’), Allan.

Montrose: Gill, Williamson, Steeves, Quinn, Dillon, Masson, Brown, Gardyne, Webster (85’), Lyons (47’), Hester.

Subs: Matthews, Waddell, Watson, McFarlane, Batchelor, Shrive, Graham, Callaghan, Machado.

Referee: George Calder.

Attendance: 4,093.