Football: Boyd kick robbed us

FURIOUS Falkirk manager John Hughes blasted whistler Charlie Richmond after he felt that his side had been denied a victory by a dodgy penalty decision.

The Bairns were leading thanks to Alan Gow's early strike when Kris Boyd appeared to be barged in the back by Tiago Rodrigues.

Boyd fell and grabbed the ball and would have been booked had the ref not given the spot-kick.

Yogi said: "I think that it was a soft decision. Boydy conned him and by handling the ball he made him make a decision that went against us.

"I don't think that football players and referees are compatible,"

And Boyd converted to rub salt in the wound.

Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies complained that he couldn't see the incident from the dug-out.

He said: "There were so many players between me and the far corner of the box, that I just saw Kris go down in the area."

When told of Yogi's displeasure, he added: "Well, he would say that, wouldn't he?"

But in the end a draw was a fair result after the Bairns enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges but tired badly after the break although neither side were able to pressurise their opponents for long.

Falkirk took the lead in the 11th minute thanks to an error that Peter Leven will never want to see again.

He turned into trouble 30 yards from goal and tried a pass-back which never reached his box and invited Gow to roll the ball past Alan Combe and into the corner for his second goal in two games after his CIS Cup midweek strike.

The visitors looked comfortable until Boyd's tumble and his well struck spot-kick was just out of the reach of a despairing Matt Glennon.

Allan Johnston looked to have scored the winner 10 minutes from time but his shot was forced round the post by Glennon.

MAN OF THE MATCH

ALLAN JOHNSTON

Always a threat for Killie.

KILMARNOCK: Combe 6, Fowler 6, Ford 7, Greer 7, Hay 6; Invicibile6, McDonald 5 (Wales 4), Leven4 (Dodds 5); JOHNSTON 8; Naismith6, Boyd 6 (Murray 75) .

FALKIRK: Glennon 7, Lawrie 6, Ireland 7, Rodrigues 6, Milne 6, O'Donnell 5 (McStay 61 4), Latapy 7( McBreen 80 3), Lima6, S Thomson 5; Duffy 6, Gow6 (A Thomson 75) .

MANAGERS: J Jefferies 5, Y Hughes 6.

REFEREE: C Richmond5.

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