MATCH REPORT: Falkirk 2-1 Rangers, December 19 2015 - Watch it Again Weekend with Falkirk TV

This week’s classic match courtesy of Falkirk TV comes from December 2015 when Falkirk picked up three points at home to Rangers in the Championship.
John Baird opened the scoring from the penalty spot early onJohn Baird opened the scoring from the penalty spot early on
John Baird opened the scoring from the penalty spot early on

Here is how Sports Editor David Oliver reported from the match that day.

There was a little more to the players’ and managers’ cliche that the league is the ‘bread and butter’ of the season on Saturday as Falkirk took three valuable points from Rangers.

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The Bairns partners Hovis parked up their promotional van at The Falkirk Stadium for the visit of Warburton and Rangers – and the pre-Christmas clash had plenty to chew over.

Sandwiched between two penalty decisions at the start and end of the match were controversial decisions from ref Willie Collum, end-to-end football and a crackling atmosphere in a packed house.

You could have picked any one of the Bairns as a man of the match.

BT Sport viewers couldn’t have picked a better game to watch over lunch.

And the 2-1 victory for Falkirk was sweet.

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Especially in the conclusion to the game when Danny Rogers saved a Martyn Waghorn spot-kick in the 92nd minute.

Almost 90 minutes of football earlier Falkirk had gone ahead in controversial circumstances.

Will Vaulks started and finished the move on the ground, sliding to win the ball on the edge of the box from Nathan Oduwa then powering forward. An exchange of passes with John Baird later and Vaulks was on the edge of the box and fouled by Danny Wilson.

Ref Willie Collum looked to his linesman and pointed at the spot, but TV pictures later showed the foul was committed two yards outside the area, though Vaulks landed well within.

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John Baird sent the home side ahead at the away end then celebrated in bizarre style.

But the lead lasted just 12 minutes, as Barrie Mackay equalised after a penalty-box pinball let the ball break to him at the back post and the winger rifled Rangers level.

That’s how it stayed at halftime though Falkirk really should have been well ahead through the tireless teenager Kevin O’Hara.

A constant thorn in the side of Rob Kiernan, the teenager ran onto a poor header from the defender in clearing a Peter Grant punt upfield.

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He scampered in on goal and ushered the ball past Wes Foderingham. Running in was John Baird and as soon as he touched the ball in to make sure it was ruled offside.

It was unjust for the Bairns, and young O’Hara who was also denied by two excellent saves by the Rangers goalkeeper in the second half, with one being tipped onto the post on his full debut at home.

Shortly before the first that Foderingham pushed onto the post, Falkirk had gone ahead when Blair Alston’s corner was helped on by Baird but broke to Aaron Muirhead.

He laid off to Will Vaulks and the somersault afterwards told you all you needed to know as the ball broke through a cluster of players to find the net.

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Aside from a couple of breaks forward, one when O’Hara had a lovely curling effort tipped over, Rangers laid siege to Falkirk’s goal and the Bairns became encamped in their own area.

But Danny Rogers and his defence kept them out from long range and close in, even when Rangers threw Kenny Miller, Nicky Clark and Nicky Law on.

The latter smacked the crossbar with a shot in the closest the Gers came in the regulation time.

But they were handed the opportunity – and anything but literally – in the second of four added minutes when Collum made another penalty blunder and gave the visitors a penalty against Blair Alston for a handball when the ball struck his thigh.

Waghorn’s kick was tipped by Rogers’ dive to his left.

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The ball hit the inside of the post and trickled along the line before being booted clear by Aaron Muirhead.

Falkirk now lie six points off Rangers and Hibs, who meet one another on Monday.

Depending on that, and winning their two games, Falkirk will go into 2016 either joint second or one point off top.