Falkirk fire five past struggling Kilmarnock to keep top-six hopes alive

Falkirk produced their best performance of the season to all-but secure a top-six finish in the William Hill Premiership as they dismantled struggling Kilmarnock 5-1 at the Falkirk Community Stadium.

The tone was set inside the first minute as Ethan Schilte-Brown inadvertently diverted Calvin Miller’s cutback into his own net.

It was 3-0 after 36 minutes as Dylan Tait slotted the ball home from close range and Barney Stewart headed into the top corner, while Killie did pull a goal back through Greg Kiltie before the break.

But there was no let up from the hosts as Stewart tapped home a low cross from the lively Miller and Tait lashed home from the edge of the area to make it 5-1 with over half-an-hour still to play.

The Bairns also hit the woodwork three times and had a goal cancelled out following a VAR review in a rampant display which saw them move 12 points clear of seventh-placed Dundee United, who only have five games left to play before the split.

Kilmarnock remain 11th after this damaging defeat, losing some ground to 10th-placed St Mirren, who drew with Livingston.

Falkirk had made two changes from their narrow defeat to Hearts last time out as Liam Henderson and Finn Yeats replaced Keelan Adams and Kyrell Wilson, while Bruce Anderson started in place of Aaron Tshibola for the visitors.

The visitors have improved in recent weeks under Neil McCann but they got off to a nightmare start as the hosts took the lead within the first minute.

Miller got in behind and cut the ball back into the six-yard box where Killie defender Schilte-Brown was slow to react as the ball ricocheted off the inside of his foot and into the net.

It almost got even worse for the away side three minutes later as Stewart nodded home after the visitors made a mess of clearing a free-kick, but referee Colin Steven was sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR and deemed that Henderson had been interfering with play from an offside position in the build -up.

Kilmarnock did have the ball in the net a few minutes later as Joe Hugill slotted home, but the linesman had his flag up for offside and the decision was confirmed after a VAR check.

Falkirk doubled their lead in the 28th minute as Tait reacted fasted to bundle home from two yards out after Kelle Roos had saved Stewart’s glancing header from a Miller corner.

Eight minutes later and it was 3-0, with another Miller corner making its way through to Coll Donaldson, who volleyed across the box where Stewart expertly guided a header into the top corner.

The away side were shell-shocked but they gave themselves a route back into the game in the 40th minute as Kiltie fired into the top corner from 20 yards out.

That goal would prove merely a consolation, however, as Stewart grabbed his second of the game in the 50th minute, ghosting in to calmly side-foot home from six yards out after another dangerous low cross from the impressive Miller.

Five minutes later and it was five for the Bairns as Tait also completed his brace, smashing in a high, swerving effort from the edge of the box that appeared to deceive Killie goalkeeper Roos, who was unmoved.