Apologies for slip ups and sending offs

Lee Ashcroft reveals team mates are full of remorse for the mistakes at Falkirk

Lee Ashcroft was critical of the artificial surface at the Falkirk Stadium especially after it was established that keeper Sean Murdoch slipped in his attempts to keep out what was the 64th minute equaliser.

Sean Murdoch apologised for losing the goal and Lee told the media:-

"Sean said that he has slipped but there is nothing we can do about that. The boy (Jordan McGhee) hit it well to be fair. It is one of these things, Sean would probably save it nine times out of ten but it creeped in."

The Pars enjoy playing on grass but the two Astro pitches in the Championship are quite a contrast to playing on grass. Lee continued:-

"There are two of them in the league, you cannot really make excuses because it is the same for both teams but down the league and probably the players at Falkirk would rather play on grass.

"It was a bit of a dampener for us but I think we reacted well. We dug in and got the point at the end. If we had kept eleven men on the park I think we would definitely have gone on and taken the three points. Who knows? I think it is a good point at the end of the day."

Lee claimed that he and his team mates were keen to get a result at Falkirk to sort out their away form especially against the club`s greatest rivals, and in front of a large travelling support. He told the media:-

"A lot of the boys were fired up before the game because we have come here in the last few years and the results have not been great. We knew it was going to be a battle, the same way as it was at Inverness last week.

"We started brilliantly though it was a bit of a scrappy game with players on both sides getting in about each other. That`s just the way it is in a derby.

"We got the penalty, got the goal and I think we were comfortable at half time. Obviously getting Higgy sent off at the start of the second half kind of cramped us and they got the goal pretty sharp after that.

"We got stuck in our own half, we defended well and did have a copy breaks without any major chances. I think after the sending off that a point is a good result."

Kallum Higginbotham apologised for his red card to his team mates after the match but Lee felt that it had been a harsh decision:-

"I saw it at the time and I don`t think he meant to do what he did. He tried to get his body in and maybe foul but the boy has made a bit of a meal of it when he was down on the ground. That has not helped and of course the home fans were on the ref`s back. It was a hard one. The decision was made, he was sent off and we just had to get on with it.

"Higgy likes to get in about people and likes to work his backside off. It is just the way he plays. It was just a bit unfortunate the way the foul happened, I just think he tried to get his body in but the ref said he led with his arm. I don`t think it was too rash a tackle but the ref made the decision and he has been sent off.

"It was a bad one for us because he is a big player for us. It is done now, he knows and he has apologised to the boys. He will be a big miss for the next game but he will be back flying again."

Lee Ashcroft and his fellow defenders did really well to contain Falkirk to just the one goal since the offensive was well orchestrated.

"When you finish the game with nine men a draw is not the worst result for us."

Dundee United defeated league leaders St Mirren and Livingston were held to a 0-0 draw at Livingston, so the single point from the Falkirk game was not disastrous. Queen of the South have closed on the top now as well and the top five clubs are separated by just two points. Lee commented:-

"Teams are all beating each other and if we can start picking up more points away from home I think we will be right up there. Our home record is brilliant but we know ourselves that we need to improve on our away record.

"We have a good run of games coming up. We have a trip to Hampden in the Scottish Cup and two home games (against Morton and Dumbarton). If we can get a run going then we will be right back up the top again."

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