Falkirk's Kevin James had an afternoon of mixed fortunes. Having conceded an early second half penalty, he scored a vital equaliser in the dying minutes when his side looked to be beaten.
The afternoon had started well enough for league leaders Falkirk when they took the lead in the third minute. Daniel McBreen took the ball
to the edge of the box and crossed to the far post where Darryl Duffy, unmarked, swept the ball into the empty net.
From that point Airdrie dominated for much of the remainder of the game and were denied a clear-cut penalty by the referee, who failed to see Alan Gow being hauled to ground as he prepared to shoot.
However, early in the second half Gow got his chance of a penalty after an Owen Coyle chip was adjudged to have been handled by James. Gow stuck the ball away without any hesitation.
Falkirk were stunned minutes later when Airdrie took the lead. Gow was instrumental in setting up Stephen McKeown who, with only the keeper to beat, shot home from 16 yards.
It is crucial to take your chances when they come along, and when Coyle's header rebounded off the post just a few minutes after McKeown's goal, Falkirk played the dying minutes as if their very lives depended on getting at least a point.
Duffy came within a whisker of equalising, but his net-bound effort was brilliantly saved by Mark McGeown. However,with five minutes left on the clock, Falkirk finally got the goal they so desperately wanted. Its source, though, was quite a surprise. The ball spun out of the Airdrie box towards the penalty spot. Unmarked, James struck a left-foot shot which was no great challenge to the keeper until a wicked deflection turned it away from him and into the net.