Unconvincing Celtic fail to stretch away from Rangers as Falkirk end 19-year wait

Celtic’s recent habit of pilfering points from poor performances was always going to end eventually and Falkirk would prove to be the place where that good fortune ran out.

Offered the chance to move seven points clear, Martin O’Neill’s side instead served up another unconvincing display as weak defending and wastefulness in attack contributed to a second league defeat of the season. It was Falkirk’s first victory in this fixture since 2007.

The home side didn’t generate anywhere near the number of opportunities created by Celtic but were far more clinical with the ones that they did. Goals from Ethan Ross and Scott Tanser proved to be the difference, although Scott Bain was undoubtedly Falkirk’s star performer with a string of saves as his team racked up a fourth win on the spin to move up to fourth

Ethan Ross opens the scoring for Falkirk against Celtic. | SNS Group

Celtic, in contrast, look increasingly like a club in the midst of an identity crisis and with no obvious way out of it. Besiktas at home on Thursday in the Europa League will provide the next challenge and they will need to raise their game substantially if they are to avoid slipping to another loss in that one.

They started poorly here and never really recovered in what was a disastrous reintroduction for Cameron-Carter Vickers. Thrust back into the line-up, the American international provided an unconventional assist as Falkirk forged in front after three minutes.

Carter-Vickers got himself in a fankle trying to cut out Ryan Strain’s cross, putting it on a plate for Ross who took one touch to control it and another to thrash his shot beyond Sam Johnstone.

Camilo Duran was restored to his preferred central berth with Kasper Hogh back on the bench but for once couldn’t score during his 65 minutes on the pitch. The Colombian struck the post, had a header saved by Bain when he should have scored, while another pair of driven efforts were repelled, too.

Bain also did well to push away a Haissem Hassan piledriver, seemingly on a mission to single-handedly thwart his former club. “Scotland’s, Scotland’s number one,” chanted the Falkirk support.

With Celtic wasting every opportunity, there was a near inevitability that Falkirk would score next. And so it transpired. It was another well-worked goal, Tanser and Owen Eames exchanging passes before the full-back thudded his shot past Johnstone. Carter-Vickers, again, didn’t cover himself in glory as Tanser sped past him to finish.

Celtic looked a sorry state and it could have got worse early in the second half. Falkirk thought they had landed a third goal when Jacob Murrell bundled home but replays showed he had used his hand to do so.

That was a let-off for Celtic but they couldn’t capitalise. A goal at that point might have placed a seed of doubt in Falkirk minds but Bain had other ideas, making two excellent saves from James Forrest and a spectacular reflex parry to deny Benjamin Nygren. Sometimes, though, the goalkeeper didn’t have to do anything to preserve his clean sheet as Callum McGregor blazed a shot over and Kieran Tierney steered a volley wide. Celtic simply couldn’t score as Falkirk’s doggedness deservedly earned them the victory.