Falkirk 2-1 Inverness CT

May 11 2008 Rob Fairburn At Falkirk Stadium

JUBILANT John Hughes saw his Bairns leapfrog Hearts into seventh spot in their bid to be best of the rest in the SPL. Yogi was banished to the stand as he started a six-match touchline suspension but his influence wasn't needed in the dugout with his side seeing off Inverness thanks to goals from Michael Higdon and Carl Finnigan.

It was the Bairns' first consecutive wins since the turn of the year but it takes them a point above the Jambos who crashed at home to Kilmarnock and if Falkirk win at Rugby Park on Saturday they can't be caught.

Hughes said: "Naturally I was pleased with the victory and the manner in which we got it.

"Hopefully we can get the win next week to clinch seventh spot.

"We had a young team out there and we will need a bit more experience next season.

"It is difficult if you don't finish in the top six or have a long cup run to get the money to buy the kind of player we need but we'll keep looking."

Straight from the off Falkirk made their intentions clear with Higdon's goal-bound header smothered by Michael Fraser.

Inverness should have taken the lead in the fifth minute when Barry Wilson sliced through the home defence to latch on to a Rory McAllister through ball.

The veteran winger did everything right by rounding the stranded Shane Supple and although he was forced wide the goal was still gaping.

But instead of rolling the ball into the empty net Wilson fired over the bar from a tight angle and a golden chance was lost.

Higdon was proving to be a handful for the Inverness defence and had another header saved by Fraser.

But seconds later he was left holding his head after being played in by Pedro Moutinho only to slide the ball wide.

Moutinho was next to threaten by dispossessing David Proctor and poking the ball past the advancing Fraser but Richard Hastings was alert to provide cover for his stranded keeper and booted the ball to safety.

Kevin McBride then sent a piledriver inches wide from the edge of the box as Falkirk piled on the pressure.

Their efforts paid off in the 28th minute when Moutinho whipped in a vicious inswinging corner from the left.

The ball eluded everyone except Higdon who was waiting at the far post to steer home his ninth goal of the season.

The Highlanders responded with McAllister nipping in front of Patrick Cregg and drilling a low shot across the face of the goal.

And Supple proved his worth with a fine diving save to deny Don Cowie whose 20-yard effort had seemed destined for the top corner.

But Falkirk finished the first half the dominant force with Chris Mitchell's cross-cum-shot tipped over the bar by Fraser.

Inverness pressed for an equaliser after the break and almost levelled in the 55th minute when Wilson's cross picked out McAllister but his glancing header drifted wide.

And the 211 travelling fans were on their feet when Roy McBain unleashed a fierce leftfoot shot in the 67th minute that rippled the side-netting.

But the Bairns were in the driving seat 60 seconds later when Moutinho played in the overlapping Finnigan who picked his spot in the roof of the net with a thunderbolt that gave Fraser no chance.

Inverness almost grabbed a consolation with four minutes to go only for Proctor's header to cannon back off the post.

They were not to be denied though and Wilson was bundled down in the box by Tam Scobbie in injury time.

The Caley player dusted himself down before sending Supple the wrong way from the spot.

REF WATCH

DAVID SOMERS kept a tight grip on the game but was forced to flash a couple of yellow cards near the end as the away side's tempers frayed. Rating: 6/10

MATCH STATS

8 SHOTS ON 1

8 SHOTS OFF 7

3 OFFSIDE 2

12 FOULS 15

6 CORNERS 5

0 BOOKINGS 2