Penalty pain for Falkirk as Bairns lose to Dunfermline and blow Scottish Cup final hopes

Falkirk suffered penalty pain against rivals Dunfermline on Saturday as the Bairns blew a brilliant opportunity to end a memorable Scottish Premiership campaign with a Scottish Cup final appearance.

John McGlynn’s side were the favourites going into the semi-final clash against the second-tier Pars - but they couldn’t find their usual rhythm on the Hampden turf. And after being unable to find the net after 90 minutes and extra-time, the Bairns fell way short in the penalty shoot-out after a drab 0-0 draw.

Brad Spencer stepped up first in front of the Falkirk end - and he sent his effort off the post. Things got even worse when Liam Henderson’s penalty was saved by Aston Oxborough. And although substitute Ben Parkinson and Filip Lissah found the net, the Pars were spotless in the shoot-out to make the final.

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Player ratings

Dunfermline: Oxborough 7, Fraser 6, Chilokoa-Mullen 5 (Hamilton 4), Abdulai 6, Ngwenya 6, Todd 6 (Fyfe 7), Amade 6 (Oakley-Booth 5), Gilmour 6, A Tod 6, Morrison 5 (Kearney 5), Kane 7 (Cooper 4).

Subs not used: Terrell, Benedictus, Bray, J Tod.

Falkirk: Bain 6, Lissah 6, Henderson 6, Allan 5 (Neilson 4), McCann 6, Spencer 6, Tait 5 (Cartwright 3), Yeats 5 (Wilson 5), Broggio 5 (Graham 4), Miller 6 (Ross 5), Stewart 6 (Parkinson 4).

Subs not used: Hogarth, Adams, Graham, MacIver.

Referee: John Beaton (5).

Attendance: 25,237.