Airdrie had to fight hard against Falkirk to earn a point and end their losing streak.

Stewart Murdoch had opened the scoring with a penalty but Alan Cook’s equaliser ensured that Falkirk kept their own negative record, having failed to win a league game at home this season.

Jack Boyle dropped out of the Diamonds side through injury, while namesake John started up front with Ryan Donelly.

Grant Evans made only his second start at left back and young Lee Brown made his first senior appearance coming off the bench late on.

The game started all Falkirk with Andy Haworth and Lyle Taylor linking up well. Cammy MacDonald came to the visitor’s rescue.

Haworth continued to look dangerous, but his ball into the box was flicked away by Evans for a corner, which came to nothing.

In the 34th minute Sean Higgins was on a run in the box when both Evans and skipper David Lilley slid in and referee Steven McLean had no option but to award a penalty.

Stewart Murdoch converted it, sending Arthur the wrong way, to put the Bairns in front.

Airdrie responded with some decent play but Boyle scuffed his chance, then went for the chipped through ball to Cook but it was intercepted.

Falkirk then went on the counter, and Taylor found himself almost one-on-one with Arthur but MacDonald tracked back with a fantastic goal saving tackle to spare the Diamonds further misery.

The away side started brightly in the second half, Alan Cook taking a free kick which bobbed about like a pinball before being scrambled out for a corner.

Minutes later McGovern had difficulty clearing Hart's ball in, Cook and Jamie Bain getting in each others way before Bain shot over.

Haworth was also getting closer, each shot that went wide getting closer and closer to pestering Arthur.

In the 67th minute though, the game was all square. A great run from Nathan Blockley took him all the way to the edge of the pitch before he managed to cross the ball back to Cook to fire home the equaliser first time.

Airdrie could have taken all three points depending with 15 minutes to go. They had three men against two, and Blockley opted to go for Bain rather than debutant Lee Brown, but the Airdrie lad’s shot went wide.

The last chance fell to Falkirk through a late corne. Kingsley swung it in and the ball was met by the head of Darren Dods but it was saved by Arthur to ensure the points were shared.

Douglas Barrie at The Falkirk Stadium.

Photographs © Robert Dalzell. Click to view full size.