The end of the dream: Killie 0-0 Falkirk

KILMARNOCK held on to the bitter end - despite late pressure from Falkirk and a rejected penalty claim - to get the single point they needed to secure their SPL survival, and quite possibly their own survival with it.

In a game with few chances (Killie managed only two shots on target, while Falkirk had to make do with five shots off target), the Bairns came agonisingly close to escaping the drop, but Ryan Flynn volleyed over from 10 yards: another chance gone begging, neatly summing up Falkirk's season.

Given the dramatic slide in Kilmarnock's fortunes this season (they'd only won three games when Jim Jefferies left and only five since Calderwood took over) it's sweetly ironic that the win that effectively kept Killie up this year was that 2-1 win away at manager Calderwood's former club Aberdeen last weekend. Coming back from behind to win 2-1, it made the task facing the Rugby Park outfit today a little bit easier: a draw was enough to secure safety, and in front of a home crowd (just over 10,662 supporters packed into the ground) all they had to do was park the bus and soak up the pressure.

Killie can now go into the summer break knowing that at least one of their problems has been solved. Staying in the SPL may well mean staying in business, though they still face one of the largest debts outside of the Old Firm with a squad that has struggled all season.

With little money in the transfer kitty, the squad may not get larger over the summer. Striker Kevin Kyle has been in transfer talks with Aberdeen, and he may well return to England, but in the euphoria following the final whistle today, he's indicated he may well stay in Kilmarnock for another season.

For Falkirk, a summer of uncertainty looms as the club struggles to cope with the financial impact of relegation. Talk of staff cuts and wage cuts have been reported, but manager Steven Pressley looks set to stay. Although he failed to lift The Bairns out of the gloom - Falkirk never made it further than 11th place - his confidence in keeping the club in the SPL nearly worked.

When he took over the managers job in February, Falkirk where only three points behind Accies. But with only three wins after twenty-three games, the signs of recovery where a long way off. Promising to keep Falkirk in the league in his first press conference as manager was always a move fraught with danger, but his confidence and belief in his abilities to turn things around probably held off relegation for a few more weeks.

Points where picked up with wins against Aberdeen and St Mirren but in the final weeks, as Kilmarnock's season imploded and the Rugby Park outfit edged closer to the drop zone, missed chances in the costly draws against St Johnstone and St Mirren in the end proved too much.

With the club now needing to cut costs, expect the raiding parties to be knocking on the door at The Falkirk Stadium. Darren Barr is off to Hearts and Accies might be revisiting Scott Arfield (they had an offer turned down for the player at the start of the season) while Pedro Moutinho and Carl Finnigan might be cheap options for some SPL sides.

With four years of SPL experience under their belt, something tells me Falkirk won't be in the First Division for long. Along with Dundee (who are trimming their squad following their disappointing season) and Dunfermline, The Bairns will be one of the strongest sides in the SFL next year. If they can keep the bulk of the squad they might be alright, providing their finances allow it.

And that is something that not even Pressley can make any promises about.

Links

» Match report from the Kilmarnock club site
» Falkirk relegated as Killie stay up [BBC]
» Kilmarnock hold on to survive [ESPN]
» Stephen Pressley set to stay at Falkirk who are relegated from SPL by Kilmarnock [Telegraph]
» Falkirk go down and Kilmarnock survive after tense stalemate [Guardian]
» Falkirk relegated from Scottish Premier League after stalemate [STV]