St Mirren turned in a solid defensive display at Love Street

The first half was a tame affair, with St Mirren's Mark Corcoran missing the target from a promising position and Falkirk's Alan Gow doing the same.

With 67 minutes gone, Lappin cut inside an opponent and curled a shot into the far corner of the net from 20 yards.

Both sides pressed in the closing stages but the Buddies held on.

Interview: St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson

Interview: Falkirk manager John Collins

It was a welcome victory for the flu-hit Paisley side and just the tonic after Saturday's hammering at Hibs.

And too many Falkirk had an off day as the visitors struggled to find their usual passing fluency.

The visitors were first to threaten when Anthony Stokes timed his run in behind the home defence perfectly and pulled the ball back for Gow just inside the penalty box.

The Bairns striker sliced his effort horribly wide in the third minute.

The Buddies' first chance arrived 10 minutes later when Garry Brady won the ball in midfield and set Corcoran free in the inside right channel with a well-weighted pass.

The winger's fine first touch gave him the opportunity to strike at goal, but, with keeper Scott Higgins advancing quickly off his line, he dragged his effort wide.

Gus MacPherson's side enjoyed the better of the game for the subsequent 10 minutes without putting real pressure on Higgins.

Falkirk veteran Russell Latapy earned himself a bit of space in midfield with a wonderful piece of control before threading a lovely pass to Stokes on 33 minutes.

The Irish teenager delivered a dangerous cross but defender Kirk Broadfoot was well-placed to clear his lines.

Three minutes before the break, Patrick Cregg found Stokes in acres of space on the edge of the box, but the on-loan Arsenal striker could only blast the ball at the advancing goalkeeper Chris Smith.

Falkirk started the second half brightly and worked the ball cleverly to Latapy on the edge of the box in the 49th minute and it took two St Mirren defenders to deflect his shot away for a corner.

Stokes wasted another opening when he shot weakly - with Gow well-placed to receive a potentially decisive pass.

The deadlock was finally broken when Lappin used curled in a wonderful shot from just outside the box to beat Higgins and nestle in the left-hand corner of the net.

Stokes curled a free-kick just over the bar and John Hughes' side threw men forward in a bid to salvage a point.

Their only glimmer of a chance came in the last minute when substitute Tom McManus found himself unmarked 12 yards out, but his weak prod at goal failed to worry Smith.

St Mirren: Smith, van Zanten, Millen, McGowne, Broadfoot, Murray, Brittain, Brady, Lappin, Corcoran (McKenna 90), Sutton (Gemmill 77). Subs Not Used: McColgan, Potter, Maxwell, Reid, McCay.

Booked: Murray. Goal: Lappin 67.

Falkirk: Higgins, Ross, Barr, Dodd, Milne, Craig, Cregg, O'Donnell, Latapy, Gow (McManus 70), Stokes. Subs Not Used: Lambers, Uras, John Stewart, Scobbie, Thomson, Lima.

Booked: O'Donnell, Milne.

Att: 5,212

Ref: S Conroy