Goals from Farid El Alagui, Murray Wallace and a Jonathan Brown own goal had given the Bairns the half time advantage, but Bobby Barr, Jacobs and then Mark Fotheringham dramatically pulled Livi level, only for David Weatherston to win it with five minutes to go.
Jacobs said, “Bobby Barr picked the ball up and I saw a break on. He’s played a great ball and once I got past the defender I was only ever going to shoot, and luckily for me it has dipped at the last minute and gone in.
“More importantly, the team dug really deep to come back to 3-3. We’re all devastated to lose the game in the end. We started well but after we lost the first goal we seemed to collapse as a team.”
Livi had the better of the first ten minutes, with Marc McNulty and then Jason Talbot both being foiled by Michael McGovern in the home goal. But only seconds after the full back was foiled, Falkirk snatched the lead.
A speculative lob was played over the top of the Livi defence, and with both Paul Watson and keeper Andy McNeil hesitating to clear Farid El Alagui clipped the ball into the bottom corner.
The misery was compounded for the Lions minutes later. A Falkirk corner wasn’t cleared, and the ball eventually fell to Murray Wallace. The youngster composed himself before drilling a low shot through a crowded six-yard box that Jonathan Brown could only help on its way.
The Livi defence was looking visibly shaken, and conceded a third goal to the Bairns before half time. David Weatherston’s cross was fluffed, but as McNeil looked set to pounce on the loose ball Brown slid in to turn the ball into his own net.
The game looked lost for the Lions at half time, and manager Gary Bollan brought on striker Rory Boulding for Brown to go three up front in a gamble to claw back the deficit.
Livi were given early hope that gamble might pay off when Bobby Barr picked up a loose ball before twisting and turning past three Falkirk defenders to slot home into the bottom corner. That galvanised the Livi team and support, and the travelling fans didn’t have to wait long before they were celebrating again.
After defending a corner Barr fed Jacobs, and he broke into the Falkirk half before cutting inside and unleashing a vicious 25-yard drive that flew into the net.
Livi dared to believe the comeback was on, and yellow shirts flew forward from all areas of the pitch in a bid to grab an equaliser. After Boulding saw his effort saved by McGovern the Lions drew level with ten minutes to go, as Mark Fotheringham’s free kick dipped under the keeper’s crossbar to stun the home crowd.
Paul Watson and Kenny Deuchar both came close to adding an at one point unthinkable winner for the visitors, but with five minutes left on the clock Steven Pressley’s side snatched a winner, as Weatherston broke into space before firing low under McNeil.
The game furiously raced to a breathless conclusion as the Lions almost equalised again in stoppage time, but a magnificent last gasp tackle from Rhys Bennett denied Boulding when through on goal.
First published in the Edinburgh Evening News on 07/11/11
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