Falkirk beat Celtic 2-0 as Scott Bain keeps champions at bay

Falkirk defeated Celtic 2-0 on Sunday, with first-half goals from Ethan Ross and Scott Tanser and a decisive performance from former Celtic goalkeeper Scott Bain. The result ended Falkirk's wait for a victory over the champions dating back to 2007, according to STV News, and delivered a fourth successive Scottish Premiership win.

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Ross opened the scoring in the third minute after a mistake by Cameron Carter-Vickers. Tanser added the second in the 38th minute, running on to a pass from Owen Eames before beating Sam Johnstone. The Irish Times reported that Eames, on loan from Derby, also created opportunities for Jacob Murrell as Falkirk threatened down the left.

Bain made 10 saves to preserve the advantage, according to the Irish Times. Camilo Duran struck a post and was repeatedly denied by the goalkeeper, while Haissem Hassan also saw an effort saved. Celtic continued to create openings after the interval, but Bain produced a double save from James Forrest and Benjamin Nygren before stopping Forrest again.

Falkirk briefly thought they had extended their lead early in the second half when Murrell forced the ball in following a long throw. A VAR review ruled the effort out for handball. Celtic could not turn that reprieve into a recovery, with further attempts either missing the target or being stopped as the home side protected their two-goal margin.

STV reported that the win lifted John McGlynn's Falkirk to fourth, behind Hearts, on 18 points. For Celtic, a second league defeat of the season left their lead over Rangers at four points. Rangers have a game in hand, meaning victory in that fixture would reduce the gap to one rather than immediately displace Celtic at the top.

The Guardian reported that Celtic have won only three of their last 10 games, alongside elimination from Champions League qualifying and defeats in all three Europa League group matches. Manager Martin O'Neill nevertheless defended his team's position after the loss, pointing to their continued league leadership and arguing that they had created enough chances to score.