[DavidMc]

Aberdeen 1-1 Falkirk

Aberdeen and Falkirk shared the spoils in a scrappy encounter at Pittodrie.
Scott Severin fired Aberdeen ahead from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time after Darren Barr's hand-ball.

But the home side could not build any momentum after the interval and Patrick Cregg levelled on 67 minutes with a strike from 18 yards.

Prior to Falkirk's goal, Dons defender Jackie McNamara missed with a close- range header and Aberdeen striker Lee Miller stabbed wide late on.

The hosts looked lethargic after their midweek Uefa Cup defeat in Greece, while Falkirk will be happy to pick up a point on the road after a rocky first quarter of the season.

A dull first 30 minutes saw play bogged down in midfield, with the visitors looking the more comfortable in possession but neither goalkeeper involved at all.

The Dons eventually sparked into life when Barry Nicholson whipped a dangerous cross into the penalty area which Chris Clark was inches away from connecting with.

Soon after, Clark was presented with another opportunity and this time drew a good save from Tim Krul, who parried away a powerful shot from 20 yards.

Falkirk replaced Arnau Riera with Liam Craig and the visitors were forced into another first-half switch as Kenny Milne suffered what looked to be a serious injury.

Following extensive treatment, the defender was carried away on a stretcher after colliding with the wall of the Main Stand.

By the time Milne was carried away, Falkirk were a goal down, as Darren Barr was penalised for handling a cross from Zander Diamond.

Severin took responsibility from the spot and coolly sent Krul the wrong way to score.

Despite their lead, Aberdeen looked flat after the break and struggled to get forward in any numbers.

For the visitors, striker Graham Barrett looked lively, trying his luck with two shots on goal.

The first was a weak effort comfortably gathered by Jamie Langfield, before he capitalised on some slack play by Diamond to advance forward and blast a drive narrowly wide.

In the 66th minute, the hosts should have doubled their advantage when Nicholson's corner was headed wide by Jackie McNamara from no more than six yards out.

It was a bad miss and Aberdeen were soon made to pay for it as Falkirk fashioned an equaliser from a simple set-piece.

An in-swinging Scott Arfield free-kick was not sufficiently dealt with by the home defence and when the ball broke, Cregg took one touch before driving a shot into the bottom corner of Langfield's net.

Carl Finnigan came close to putting the Bairns in front but his shot went wide after a promising run.

On-loan teenager Sone Aluko, on as a substitute, was the brightest player in the closing stages and he set Miller up late in the game but the Aberdeen forward could not find the target.



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Aberdeen: Langfield, Hart, Diamond, McNamara, Foster, De Visscher (Aluko 61), Nicholson, Severin, Clark (Byrne 78), Miller, Young (Maguire 84). Subs Not Used: Kelly, Touzani, Daniel Smith, Jonathan Smith.

Booked: De Visscher.

Goal: Severin 45 pen.

Falkirk: Krul, Aafjes, Barr, Milne (Allison 45), Holden, Arfield, Riera (Craig 38), Cregg, Barrett, Higdon (Moutinho 60), Finnigan. Subs Not Used: Olejnik, Latapy, Wallner, Scobbie.

Booked: Barr.

Goal: Cregg 68.

Att: 10,399