Celtic rally for victory

Bairns striker Michael Higdon opened the scoring after four minutes at the Falkirk Stadium but team-mate Kenny Milne put through his own goal on the half-hour mark.

Second-half goals from Kenny Miller, Shunsuke Nakamura, immediately after Milne had been curiously red-carded for a professional foul, and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink made life comfortable for the champions.

Higdon opened the scoring after four minutes when he climbed to glance a header low past Hoops goalkeeper Mark Brown from Stevie Thomson's centre. Celtic threatened almost every time they moved forward and on the half-hour mark got back on level terms courtesy of Milne's own goal.

Massimo Donati's took a Vennegoor of Hesselink pass inside the Falkirk penalty area but his toe-poke from an acute angle was blocked by Tim Krul at the near post. However, when the Italian played the ball back in from the bye-line, it struck the unfortunate Bairns defender two yards out and bounced into the net.

In the 76th minute the visitors forged ahead through Miller when Aiden McGeady's spectacular overhead kick cannoned off the post and back to the Scotland international, who wasted no time in driving it in at the near post from 10 yards.

Two minutes later Milne was sent off for a last-man foul on Vennegoor of Hesselink at the edge of the Falkirk penalty area, although team-mate Darren Barr seemed to be close enough to the incident to cast doubt on the decision and may indeed have been the offender.

Milne's nightmare was compounded when Nakamura flighted the subsequent free-kick into the top right corner, and the game was over when Vennegoor of Hesselink made it 4-1 two minutes later, calmly stroking the ball in from a Miller pass.