Heavy rain greeted the arrival of some 300 travelling fans at Chester Moor Park but as the kick-off beckoned, blue skies suddenly appeared, and the remainder of the match was played in warm sunshine.
Falkirk looked to start where they had left off in Blyth and Duffy was unlucky with a fine 18-yard strike which whistled narrowly over the bar with the ‘keeper well beaten. Luck was out for McAnespie as well four minutes later when he fired in a tremendous 25-yarder which smacked off the underside of the bar, several Falkirk players claiming in vain that the ball had crossed the line.
Little was seen of the “Cestrians” but they were playing intelligently with defence a priority and Falkirk were reduced to firing in long-range efforts at goal.
McAnespie was forcing play on from midfield and in 17 minutes he unleashed a shot across goal which Duffy failed to connect with by only a few inches.
Ten minutes later the young striker had the best chance of the game so far when he broke clear of a defender as they chased a long ball into the box but shot a yard wide when it looked easier to score.
Ryan McStay ventured forward in the next attack and his rasping drive was well saved, then spilled by Ian Aitken, but Duffy could not reach the loose ball. Two minutes later and it was that man Darryl Duffy again when he headed a McPherson cross narrowly over from six yards.
As the first-half drew to a close, Town nearly snatched the lead when some poor marking allowed Robbie Houghton to steal in with a header at the back post and Ferguson had to look lively to knock it over the top.
Half-time : Chester-Le-Street Town 0 Falkirk 0
Falkirk resumed with two fine shots from Scally and Barr but there was little power or direction in them to worry the ‘keeper.
The heat was clearly troubling the players as the pace of the game dropped dramatically. Town’s Gary Andison broke forward to test Ferguson in 56 minutes with a drive but the experienced ‘keeper saved with ease.
The Bairns replaced McStay with Latapy and there was an immediate upsurge in Falkirk’s play. The little Trinidadian found McPherson with a defence splitting pass and from the trademark “Hagi” cross, Duffy’s header had goal written all over it until the ’keeper produced an amazing save to claw the ball over the bar.
The visitors were really turning the screw, and Duffy did everything correctly as he shot under the ‘keepers body three minutes later but looked on in disbelief as the shot-stopper’s trailing leg diverted the effort away for a corner. O’Neil replaced the tiring Scally and seconds later Duffy, to a round of well-deserved applause, made way for Steve Loverso.
There was a scare for the fans as Ferguson looked to have suffered a nasty face injury after a collision but was able to resume after lengthy treatment.
Things were beginning to get desperate as the game drew to a close. McAnespie looked to the heavens with 10 minutes remaining when his net-bound thunderbolt was somehow deflected over the bar by a defenders outstretched leg. From the corner Hughes knocked on and Loverso almost managed to deflect the ball over the line from a yard out. Another flag-kick followed and a robust challenge by the flying Hughes completely pole-axed the Town ‘keeper who lay motionless for several minutes.
With only three minutes remaining on the stopwatch, Falkirk finally
made the breakthrough. Latapy sent in yet another corner from the right, Sharp misheaded but the ball fell perfectly on the six-yard line for the lurking Steve Loverso, and the big American gleefully blasted the ball into the net. There was definitely a sense of relief rather than jubilation emanating from the terraces.
John O’Neil should have wrapped it up with the last kick of the ball, striding into the box unchallenged but the goalkeeper made a fine diving save to block his shot.
Full-time : Chester-Le-Street Town 0 Falkirk 1
Falkirk: Ferguson; Barr, McPherson, MacKenzie, Hughes, Sharp, McStay (Latapy 58), Scally (O’Neil 61), Moutinho, McAnespie, Duffy(Loverso 64).
Steve Loverso