Severin spot kick cancelled.

Aberdeen had to settle for a point at Pittodrie this afternoon after taking the lead in injury time of the first half. Scott Severin buried the spot kick after Barr had handled and the Dons then looked to control the game. A couple of defensive lapses gifted Falkirk the equaliser and the game could have went either way after that. Sone Aluko came on in the second half and he looked the most likely to unlock the Bairns defence but at the other end Langfield had to make a couple of stops so a draw was probably a fair result at the end of the day.

Aberdeen kicked off and won the first corner of the match in the 2nd minute but de Visscher swung the ball out of play. The atmosphere was strangely flat but the Dons players were looking positive in the early stages. Derek Young almost forced his way forward in the 5th minute but the Bairns defence managed to bundle the ball clear. Falkirk were getting forward quite regularly and won a dangerous free kick in the 14th minute but Diamond was up smartly to clear the danger. The Dons early dominance was now subdued and Langfield was given a bit of a let off in the 15th minute when his clearance rebounded off a Falkirk striker and rolled out of play.

There was a bit of concern in the 18th minute when Langfield made a fine catch from the visitors first corner but he landed awkwardly and required treatment. The game had failed to sparkle and was screaming out for some goalmouth action. Derek Young looked to be hauled back as he tried to break in the 27th minute but the referee decided it was an accidental collision. The best move of the game so far came in the 32nd minute when Miller and Nicholson combined well but Chris Clark failed to connect with the midfielders cross.

Another great move three minutes later released Clark but his left footed shot was beaten away by Krul in the Falkirk goal. Falkirk made the first substitution in the 37th minute when Craig replaced Riera but Aberdeen forced the Bairns back and Clark won a corner in the 39th minute. De Visscher swung the ball in but Krul comfortably clutched it. Three minutes later Aberdeen produced some fine football but Young’s knock down went behind his strikers. Seconds later Nicholson should have buried the ball into the net when de Visscher found the midfielder in plenty of space inside the box but he blazed it over the bar.

At the other end Finnigan should have given Falkirk the lead with only Langfield to beat but he fired the ball wide of the target. After a dire 45 minutes the first half ended dramatically when Aberdeen were awarded a spot kick in injury time. Diamond had done well to drag the ball away from Krul, who was well out of his goal. The defender swung the ball back into the danger area where Barr handled. The defender was booked for his trouble and Scott Severin stepped up to send Krul the wrong way and fire the Dons ahead. While this drama had been unfolding Bairns defender Kenny Milne was being treated by paramedics after colliding with the Main Stand wall.

Falkirk started strongly in the second half and Langfield was forced into a couple of easy saves. The Dons then won the first corner of the second half after 51 minutes but once again Krul handled well. There was a booking for de Visscher a minute later for a challenge on Aafjes. Loose play allowed Barrett to spring forward in the 57th minute but the ball was well wide of the target. Aluko replaced de Visscher in the 61st minute as Aberdeen looked to try and seal the win. Aluko got involved immediately as he threatened down the left but at the other end Diamond had to be sharp to stifle the Bairns.

Good passing play produced a corner in the 66th minute but McNamara headed well wide when the ball came into the box. A lack of concentration between Hart and Nicholson gifted Falkirk a dangerous free kick on the left and further poor defending allowed the Bairns to draw level. The free kick was whipped in and only half cleared to Cregg who was unmarked on the edge of the box and drilled the ball past Langfield. Aberdeen tried to hit back immediately as Aluko swung in a dangerous cross but the ball was scrambled clear.

The goal had given Falkirk a boost and Aberdeen were struggling to break down the Bairns defence. Byrne then replaced Clark in the 77th minute as the game remained on a knife-edge. Finnigan did well a minute later as he controlled a long ball and tried to lob it over the advancing Langfield. Fortunately the ball went wide. Aluko then went close in the 80th minute as he beat a couple of players and watched agonisingly as the ball went inches wide of the target. With seven minutes remaining Maguire replaced Young as the Dons looked to find a winner.

Aluko set up Lee Miller in the 85th minute with another great delivery but the striker sent the effort wide. Aberdeen threw everything at Falkirk but Langfield saved the day in the 90th minute when he blocked a Craig effort. Moutinho then fired wide in injury time as the game petered out to 1-1 draw. This was another opportunity lost at Pittodrie and even though the Dons scrape into the top six they really would have hoped to be a lot closer at this stage of the season.