'Glaring opportunities were missed and it cost us again' - irked Falkirk boss John McGlynn on his side's 1-1 draw with Airdrieonians

A brilliant strike from Rangers loanee Kai Kennedy opened the scoring on 26 minutes, with his effort well worthy of winning any match.

But the Bairns failed to find the all-important second goal on the day, and they paid the price for poor defending at the back on 78 minutes.

The visitors grabbed a late equaliser through on-form forward Callum Smith to ensure they took a point, with the backline failing to react to a smart through ball from Calum Gallagher into his strike partner.

“It was certainly two points dropped,” boss McGlynn told the Falkirk Herald. “Our performance was very good overall and in the opening half an hour we were dominant. We had a penalty shout on Rumarn (Burrell) really early on that looked like a certainty but we didn’t get it.

“Ourselves and Airdrie are both two good footballing teams, who are very attacking-minded, so there were always going chances. We should have further ahead but we didn’t find that important second goal.

"Gary Oliver’s chance was the big one. But Juan Alegria was through one-on-one, Stephen McGinn missed a few, Rumarn Burrell too.

“Our goal was excellent. It was a brilliant ball by Coll Donaldson and it was a great touch and finish by Kai Kennedy. No goalkeeper was saving his shot. It was his weaker foot but it just shows you what happens if you go for goal.

“In the final 15 minutes of the first half, Airdrie came back into it a little but we were comfortable. We started the second half well too but we didn’t take our chances and in the end it came back to bite us. That is football.

"It was one mistake but we got punished for it. We’ve been doing that for weeks now – creating opportunities and not taking them while being really on top – and that will have to change. We have to be able to defend for 90 minutes.

"We lose the ball deep in our own half and the boy manages to squeeze the ball into the far post in our box which shouldn’t happen.”

The Falkirk boss also admitted the match was another outing that showed the Bairns were missing an out-and-out goalscorer up top.

With the January transfer window just around the corner he hopes he will be able to operate in the market.

“It will all come down to money and availability,” McGlynn stressed. “You’ve seen what the club are trying to do to bring money in. If somebody wants to give me some money, I’ll go out do my best to do that.

"We might not be in that situation, so we’ll just need to wait and see. Everyone wants that particular striker, the one that will score you 20+ goals a season, but they aren’t easy to get.

“It was the same in the summer and we are not alone. I’d love it to happen but it has to come from above.”