Ten-man Falkirk battle for a point against Kelty Hearts as champions keep unbeaten League One run intact

The champions took an early lead through Calvin Miller but they were a man down after 17 minutes when Coll Donaldson wiped out Aberdeen loanee Alfie Bavidge.

It got worse for the Bairns soon after when substitute Leon McCann comically scored into his own net after a mix-up at the back to level the match.

In a topsy-turvy first half, SPFL top goalscorer Callumn Morrison fired the hosts back in front just after the half hour mark, but Kelty Hearts then responded only a minute later. Reece Lyon connected perfectly to volley home a knock-down.

John McGlynn’s side managed to hold off the Fife visitors in the second half, with a point a more than satisfactory result for the Bairns in the end with an invincible league campaign on the line.

"We’re delighted to keep the unbeaten run going,” Falkirk assistant manager Paul Smith said. "It was a real team performance. Everyone tracked back up to Ross MacIver dropping in. We showed great character and mentality.

“It was an eventful day. We started the game well and we scored a good goal from Calvin Miller. We looked to kick but the sending off put us under huge pressure from that point onwards.

"With Coll (Donaldson) going off we have had to bring on Leon McCann at left-back, with Sean (Mackie) going into centre-back. We had to shuffle the pack. It was unfortunate, I haven’t seen it (the red card challenge) back yet.

“We’ve given away an own goal but we scored again. They’ve then levelled because we didn’t defend well enough in that five minute period afterwards.

"But this team is just unbelievable for what they have been producing week in week out. We were still a threat with ten men on the break and we could have had a penalty too.

"It is boring saying it but we are still taking it one game at a time. It is a tight park down at Annan next week and they are on a good run at the moment.”