Inverness relegated from SPL

By David McDaid

Higdon made a vital impact off the bench

Michael Higdon came off the bench to score as Falkirk beat Inverness to save their Scottish Premier League future and relegate their opponents.

Inverness started brightly and Bairns goalkeeper Dani Mallo made a wonderful save to deny Richie Foran.

The hosts were reduced to 10 men when Ross Tokely was sent off for a professional foul on Steve Lovell.

Falkirk wore their hosts down and Higdon scored from close range on 68 minutes from Jackie McNamara's pass.

Trailing the host by two points, Falkirk needed to win to stay in the league, while Inverness needed only a point.

And after a nervy opening period, Inverness looked eager to get the goal that would give them a massive advantage.

The home side's Foran made Mallo save when he shot low from 15 yards, before the Falkirk goalkeeper made an astonishing save to keep his team level with 11 minutes gone.

Felipe Morais made for the byeline, cut the ball back to Foran, and the Irishman hit a powerful shot from eight yards which Mallo superbly palmed away.

Morais was involved in most of the home side's early attacks, and with the visitors backing off the Portuguese had a strike from distance that went just over.

Falkirk had posed little threat, but before the half-hour mark Scott Arfield threaded a neat ball through to Lovell, but the Bairns top-scorer hesitated when he should have shot, and the chance was lost.

But shortly before half-time Inverness were dealt a massive blow when they were reduced to 10 men.

With Lovell going for a ball over the Caley Thistle defence last man Tokely climbed over the striker as he tried to recover ground.

Tokely was near to tears after his dismissal

Lovell was downed on the edge of the box and, after a nod from his assistant, referee Eddie Smith brandished the red card to the Inverness' longest-serving player.

Despite their extra player advantage, Falkirk found themselves hemmed in their own half after the restart, an there was a nervy moment when Carl Finnigan headed just over his own bar.

But they soon picked up their game, and substitute Mark Stewart lobbed high over the on-rushing Caley Thistle keeper Michael Fraser, but the ball was headed away from the goal to safety.

The visitors had the 10 men camped in their own half but struggled to create any scoring opportunities.

However, Bairns boss John Hughes swapped Lovell for Higdon up front, and the English striker was to have a crucial contribution.

Within five minutes of coming on Higdon met McNamara's ball across goal to divert it past Fraser from six yards, and give them a vital advantage in the SPL survival fight.

Finnigan blazed an easy chance for the Bairns' over the bar with five minutes to go, and Brian Kerr, Russell Duncan and Dougie Imrie all spurned chances for the hosts in the closing minutes.

But Falkirk held firm and the final whistle was greeted with scenes of jubilation from the away side, and dejection for Inverness, who will play in the Scottish First Division next season after five years in the top-flight.

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