Football: First touch is a Daz-zler for supersub

FALKIRK 1

Cregg 46

MOTHERWELL 2

McDonald 66, Smith 68

SUPERSUB Darren Smith completed the best week of his career by grabbing the winner with his first touch.

The 18-year-old midfielder won his first Scotland Under-21 cap against Germany in midweek and his goal here gave the Steelmen their first league win of 2007.

"That's topped off a great seven days for me," he said. "It was unfortunate for David Clarkson as I thought his shot was flying into the top corner but when it came back off the woodwork I had a simple tap-in.

"My only other goal - a last-minute equaliser against Celtic - was also a tap-in. I score from long range in training though so that's still to come.

"Conditions were really terrible but I was glad to get on because we were freezing in the dug-out.

"Getting the win is good for our morale and now we're looking upwards as we want to climb the table."

Falkirk had the better chances early on but Graeme Smith made a terrific save to turn away a Russell Latapy free-kick and Carl Finnigan missed a cinch, sending a free header wide from Alan Gow's cross.

However, they took the lead in the 46th minute when Marc Twaddle and Gow combined to tee up Patrick Cregg and the Irishman's low drive from 15 yards beat Smith.

The home side seemed comfortable enough at that stage but a shocking attempted clearance from Thomas Scobbie allowed Well back into the game.

His mistimed effort spun into the path of Scott McDonald and the Aussie striker volleyed home the equaliser.

Darren Smith had just come on and two minutes later he grabbed the clincher, prodding the ball over after Clarkson's shot beat Kaspar Schmeichel but came off the post.

Well manager Maurice Malpas said: "He deserves credit for being in the right place at the right time. You can decide whether it was an inspired substitution. I put Darren on to freshen things up but these things are just down to luck. I told the boys before the game that it doesn't matter how you win - and we won ugly today - but you still get the same three points for that.

"Falkirk attacked us, as we knew they would, but we handled the pressure."

It was a gritty show from Well, epitomised by captain Stephen Craigan playing on after a full-blooded Latapy free-kick hit his face.

This was the home side's fifth successive defeat but Bairns boss John Hughes was happier than he had been after the Tennent's Scottish Cup defeat by St Johnstone. He said: "I was disappointed by the result but we were competitive.

"It was a spirited display and you could see the effort was there even if we maybe lacked a bit of quality.

"The goals we lost were poor but another couple of wins will keep us up."

FALKIRK MOTHERWELL

2 Shots on target 3

6 Shots off target 3

4 Shots blocked 1

5 Corners 3

16 Fouls conceded 10

4 Offsides 0

3 Yellow cards 2

0 Red cards 0

HOW THEY RATED

FALKIRK

Schmeichel 6, Allison 6, Uras 6 (Moutinho 5), Milne 5 (Twaddle 6), Holden 5, Cregg 6, Thomson 5, Scobbie 4, Latapy 5, Finnigan 4, Gow 5.

MANAGER Hughes 5

MOTHERWELL

G Smith 6, Corrigan 6, Craigan 6, Reynolds 6, Murphy 6 McGarry 5 (D Smith 6), KERR 7, Fitzpatrick 5, Paterson 5, McDonald 6, Clarkson 6 (McCormack 4).

MANAGER Malpas 6

REFEREE C Thomson 6

MAN OF THE MATCH

BRIAN KERR

Impressive throughout

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