Hibernian F.C. Match Reports
Pre-season challenge match
Falkirk 1 Hibernian 1
Tuesday 19^th July 2011

Tonight's encounter at the Falkirk Stadium was an old fashioned game of two halves with the home side dominating the opening period before Hibernian responded after the interval.

Steven Pressley's men started brightly and found the opening goal in the 3^rd minute when Bennett headed a set piece beyond Mark Brown.

Falkirk had further opportunities to extend their advantage before the break but failed to take any and were punished in the second half.

Goalkeeper Michael McGovern looked to have done enough to help his side see out the victory with a string of impressive saves to deny the Hibees.

But 11 minutes from time substitute Paul Hanlon popped up to smashed the ball into the net from Scott Smith's corner and break Falkirk's resolve.

The pouring rain made the surface quick and greasy and that lead to an unenforced error from Scott Taggart which resulted in the opening goal of the game after just three minutes.

From the resulting corner kick taken by Mark Miller, Falkirk defender Bennett rose unchallenged to power his header back across goal and into the far corner of the net.

The visitor's first opportunity of the game came from the quick thinking of youngster David Crawford who displayed quick feet and thinking to keep in Taggart's over hit cross before picking out Garry O'Connor.

The powerful striker didn't have time to set himself up for the strike and snatched at his effort sending it wide of goal.

In the 18^th minute Brown had to produce a fantastic save to beat away a rasping long-range drive from Millar as the Bairns continued to enjoy teh ran Hibs ragged.

The Falkirk midfielder was involved in everything from an attacking sense for the home side and he tried his luck again from distance soon after but couldn't get the ball beyond Brown who saved well.

Hibernian struggled to contain the quick, fluid movement of the hosts and were let off the hook when Farid Allagul headed in a cross from Stephen Kingsley only for the far side assistance to raise his flag for offside.

The pressure from Falkirk continued with Brown throwing himself down to thwart Blair Alston as the half time whistle loomed.

Paul Hanlon and Sean O'Hanlon were introduced at the half time interval by manager Colin Calderwood with captain Ian Murray pushed further forward into midfield.

Those changes almost paid off quite early equaliser too as Callum Booth picked out O'Connor inside the penalty area however his header lacked the direction to cause Michael McGovern any concern.

Falkirk's half time substitute Ally Graham almost doubled his side's advantage with an angled drive that was pushed away by an equally impressive save from Brown.

Midfielder Matt Thornhill had been in amongst the goals in recent weeks and he went close to another when his deflected strike finished just wide of goal with McGovern stranded.

Hibernian went even closer soon after as O'Hanlon connected powerfully with Booth's corner kick only for Millar to clear on the goal-line.

The lightening quick pace of Ivan Sproule carved open the home defence on 64 minutes and from his intelligent cut-back, Thornhill was denied by an instinctive stop from McGovern.

The Hibernian pressure on the Bairns defence was intense yet, they found goalkeeper McGovern in inspiring form to deny them time and again.

First he denied Wotherspoon's vicious strike at his near post before making a point-blank save from O'Connor; however his luck ran out in the 79^th minute when Hanlon lashed Galbraith's low corner kick into the net from close range to level.

Almost immediately from the restart Hibernian could have gone in front as Martin Scott put Edwin de Graaf through on goal only for McGovern to make the telling block with his feet after the Dutchman had attempted to knock the ball beyond him.

The final chance of the night fell to Hibernian with McGovern once more denying the Edinburgh men - this time holding Smith's shot at his near post.

Falkirk: McGovern, Duffie, Kingsley, Dods (Wallace 66'), Bennett (Flynn 56'), Murdoch, Alston, Miller, Ailagul (Graham 46'), Higginbotham, Sibbald (Fulton 69'). Subs: Bowman, Graham, Fulton, Flynn, Wallace.

Hibernian: Brown, Taggart (Wotherspoon 66'), Stephens (O'Hanlon 46'), Murray (Horner 77'), Booth (Smith 77'), Palsson, Thornhill (de Graaf 66'), Stevenson (Hanlon 46'), Sproule (Galbraith 66'), O'Connor (Scott 77'), Crawford. Subs: Stack, Scott, Galbraith, Wotherspoon, Horner, de Graaf, Smith, O'Hanlon, Hanlon.

Referee: Bobby Madden.

Attendance: 1,611.