A hard working performance saw us move within a point of Ross County after our first goal less game of the season at Central Park on Tuesday night.

Linton tested visiting keeper Olejnik in the first minute with one of his long throws which the the last line held confidently with Crawford and Stewart waiting for a slip.

Falkirk gradually forced their way forward and in four minutes O'Brien's 35 yard free-kick into the Cowden box was met by the towering McLean but his header was straight at Hay.

The best chance of the early stages fell to Cowden's Stewart, after a Robertson pass, and he cleverly beat Scobie in the middle of the Bairns box and his low shot brought out a fine save from Olejnik.

Play became bogged down in midfield for a period as the teams struggled to come to terms with the sanded surface and in 34 minutes Miller's inswinging corner foxed Hay but Adamson was there to boot clear.

The Bairns brought on Flynn for Compton at the break and he made an immediate impact being pulled down 25 yards out and from the resultant free-kick Miller hit Hay's right hand post.

Falkirk enjoyed a good spell but in 53 minutes Cowden almost struck when Crawford's quick free-kick set up Stewart and his angled drive had Olejnik at full stretch.

In the Bairns' reply Flynn tested Hay from the edge of the box but really Falkirk were already starting to run out of ideas.

And in 85 minutes the best chance fell to Cowden substitute  Coult fired over a cross from the left and Campbell dived to meet it with his header bouncing millimetres wide.

Hay had very little to worry him in the closing minutes as Falkirk opted to loft the ball forward only to find O'Brien in dominant mood.