Luck just does not seem to be in plentiful supply for the Bairns this season.

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Falkirk captain Darren Barr was not pleased the the tactics employed by Hearts to pick up the three points on Saturday. Michael Stewart secured the points for the Tynecastle side when he struck a decisive first-half penalty to claim a 1-0 Boxing Day win. Barr was penalised for tripping Hearts defender Jose Goncalves as the Portuguese powered his way into the box two minutes before the half time whistle. The Bairns were furious about the manner in which Hearts won the game with manager Eddie May insisting Goncalves fell to the ground after being 'tickled' by Barr. The Falkirk captain claimed Goncalves was cute when convincing referee Callum Murray it was a penalty. Barr said: "I will probably have to see it again but I thought it was soft, it was a wee touch, that's what happens. There was no malice in it at all and he was probably going down before I touched him as well. They are going down very easily. It's hard to even tackle if that is what they are going to be doing the whole game. I suppose you need a strong ref as well. That's what happens isn't it?"

While the there was not much goalmouth action for either side, Falkirk enjoyed large periods of pressure without really testing Hearts goalkeeper Marian Kello. Vitor Lima and Ryan Flynn were restricted to long-range efforts as the Bairns struggled to carve open a dogged Hearts rearguard. Barr said: "I thought we were on top for large periods of the game. I thought in the final third we could have done better, we could have created more. We didn't have many shots on goal and we didn't have too many crosses in, that's the most annoying thing as well that we gave them it, really."

Falkirk are still stuck at the bottom of the league as Kilmarnock moved two points clear. The Bairns have a chance ty bounce back at Aberdeen on Tuesday and Scotland defender Barr admits they have to start picking up points when it matters. He said: "It's disappointing, we have produced when we have really been in it but when we try to take off, it's hard. We did have a few chances against Hearts but we didn't take them, it was a weird game against Hearts. It's good to get the midweek game to try and kick back on. There is nothing in it between the teams."

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