Two Kilmarnock own goals sank them in a 3-0 Falkirk win

Falkirk won 3-0 at home, with two of the goals put into their own net by Kilmarnock players, while Kilmarnock created more than usual yet failed to test the keeper with a single shot on target.

Two of Falkirk's three goals were put into their own net by Kilmarnock players, and the first came early, when Cathal McCarthy turned the ball past his own keeper in the 29th minute. Falkirk's only goal from one of their own players came at 38 minutes, Jacob Murrell finishing a pass set up by Ryan Strain. George Stanger, already booked earlier in the match, added the third into his own net at 68 minutes, so the scoreline owed more to Kilmarnock's defending than to anything Falkirk did with the ball.

Falkirk had 63% of the ball, well above the 45.2% they average at home this season. Expected goals, a measure of how good a side's chances were, came to 2, which is also above their home average of 0.96. They took 18 shots, against a usual 10.9, and eight of them were on target. Most of the danger came from shooting rather than from patient possession, and the numbers show that the shots were the thing that changed the afternoon.

Kilmarnock had 37% of the ball, below the 43.2% they average away from home. They completed more passes than Falkirk, 332 to 298, but had far less of the ball to play with. Their expected goals reached 1.78, well above the 1.02 they usually manage away and the league figure of 1.58 for a team in a match. Yet none of their ten shots was on target, and Kilmarnock's own chances came to nothing in the way they usually would.

Ferrie made seven saves for Kilmarnock, which is the reason the score was not worse for them before the own goals arrived. Murrell's goal was the only one of Falkirk's efforts that beat him from open play, and it came from one of his four shots. He also won five individual battles, and his rating of 8.1 reflects a player who did damage in the places that count. Strain was just as involved, with four key passes that led to chances, and an assist for the goal that opened the scoring from a Falkirk player.

Kilmarnock made five substitutions between the 62nd and 76th minutes, and Falkirk made five more between the 83rd and 90th. The bookings were lopsided, with Kilmarnock picking up two yellow cards, one of them to Stanger, and Falkirk none. Nobody was sent off, so the match was played eleven against eleven throughout. Corners and fouls were close to even, so nothing else in the match stands out as unusual for either side.

Falkirk are ninth in the Premiership with nine points from nine matches, and Kilmarnock are 11th with eight. Kilmarnock have conceded 20 goals in their nine away league games, and Falkirk now sit a single point above them.

Player of the matchJ. Murrell1 goal8.1

R. Strain1 assist7.3

C. Ferrie7 saves7.2

C. Fodrey6 minutes6.9