Football: BAIRNS MEHMET A SORRY ENDING.

Byline: EWAN SMITH at Falkirk Stadium 

FALKIRK 0

ST MIRREN 1

GUTTED Falkirk sank to another sorry loss as a dramatic last-gasp winner from Billy Mehmet broke their hearts.

A boredraw was on the cards as the Bairns looked to have secured their first point since the opening game of the season.

But Saints hitman Mehmet had other ideas and his late deflected strike shattered the battling hosts.

Falkirk went into this one on the back of two thumping defeats to the Old Firm which had seen them lose 11 goals in 180 minutes.

But boss John Hughes vowed not to ditch his side's exciting brand of fast, free-flowing football in an effort to grind out results.

Youngster Scott Arfield came in for Arnau Riera in midfield as Hughes carried out a promise to stick by his players in the hope that they would come good.

For St Mirren there was another chance to see last week's hero - Argentine midfielder Franco Miranda - as the Paisley side tried to build on their win over Inverness.

Skipper Hugh Murray was making his 300th appearance for the Love Street side who were urged on by their large travelling support.

But it was the home side who looked the more threatening early on with veteran playmaker Russell Latapy again pulling all the strings from the Falkirk engine room.

Every time the Trinidad star touched the ball he seemed to make something happen and it was his incisive through ball that set up the opening chance on three minutes.

Summer signing Michael Higdon, who has netted three goals in three SPL starts, raced on to Latapy's pass only to see his 18-yard drive deflect wide for a corner.

Higdon turned creator 13 minutes later as he raced to the bye-line to cut the ball back for the on-rushing Pedro Moutinho.

This time though John Potter came to the rescue for St Mirren, booting out for a corner.

Saints weren't slow in going forward either with Miranda involved in every move.

Starting in a left wing-back role the one-time team-mate of Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi showed some sublime touches that asked questions of the Bairns' defence.

Twice inside the first 20 minutes he delivered dangerous crosses that strikers Mehmet and Stewart Kean just failed to get on the end of.

Down the other side Murray robbed Thomas Scobbie of the ball before playing in Mehmet with an inch-perfect through ball.

The Irish striker seemed certain to open the scoring but just as he prepared to lift the ball over the advancing Falkirk keeper Tim Krul, Darren Barr slid in with a last-ditch tackle.

It was the kind of defending that the talented Barr excelled at last term and the sort of play Yogi's side need if they're to stop leaking goals.

For all the visitors pressed, very little was created to truly trouble Krul.

The same could be said for Chris Smith in the Saints goal who was also under-worked.

Falkirk's final chance of the opening period fell to Higdon who leapt above the Buddies defence to head a Jack Ross cross tamely into Smith's hands.

The second period started with a bang, with the tricky Higdon creating a great chance four minutes after the break.

Patrick Cregg's diagonal ball allowed the Englishman to wriggle between John Potter and David van Zanten and toe-poke an effort that forced a good save from Smith.

Falkirk had their tails up and tested again when Latapy's corner was directed goalwards by Moutinho and hacked off the line by Mehmet.

St Mirren hit back and came within inches of a 55th-minute opener. Mark Corcoran's 18-yard effort with the outside of his left foot beat keeper Krul and struck the junction of post and bar.

Murray was booked for climbing on Higdon before Gary Mason cleared Barr's header off the line.

Barr was booked for dissent and was lucky to stay on the park after a late tackle on Murray not long after.

Falkirk sub Liam Craig, on for Steven Thomson, made an instant impact in 69 minutes when his cross hit the bar.

As the hosts pressed for a winner, Higdon nodded over from Ross' cross before Latapy went off for Graham Barrett.

Just when it looked like the game had fizzled out St Mirren claimed a 90th-minute winner.

A scramble in the box fell at the feet of Mehmet and he found space to drill past Krul.

REF WATCH

CRAIG MACKAY produced a steady display and had managed to stay largely anonymous for the entire i game. That was until he blundered by choosing not to ' book the already yellow-carded Darren Barr for his late challenge on Hugh Murray. Rating: 6/10.

MATCH STATS

CHOTS ON 5

SHOTS OFF 9

OFFSIDE 0

FOULS 17

CORNERS 9

BOOKINGS 1

CHOTS ON 2

SHOTS OFF 4

OFFSIDE 2

FOULS 10

CORNERS 1

BOOKINGS 1

CAPTION(S):

Timing of a Saint: Billy Mehmet knocks home the last-gasp winner to send the St Mirren fans wild as Falkirk's Russell Latapy skips past Miranda (below)