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Highlights: Falkirk v Gretna

Falkirk and Gretna played out a disappointing draw on a blustery afternoon at the Falkirk Stadium.

A first-half penalty claim by Pedro Moutinho could have injected some life into the match, but referee Steve O'Reilly was having none of it.

Gavin Skelton's long-range shot in the ninth minute was the best scoring chance of the match for Gretna, but Michael Higdon tipped it over the bar.

A late surge by John Hughes' side failed to find a winner for the Bairns.

Falkirk were keen to put the disappointment of missing out on a top-six place behind them and Hughes made four changes to the side that lost 2-1 at Aberdeen two weeks ago.

Pedro Moutinho had an early penalty claim denied

Moutinho's claim for a penalty in the seventh minute might have made for a lively start, but referee O'Reilly waved away claims of a push from Rhys Meynell.

Gretna looked the keener side after a relatively subdued start.

But, with few chances in the opening 10 minutes, it looked like being a long afternoon for the fans at the Falkirk stadium.

Skelton was first to fire in a long-range shot for the visitors, but his effort went wide of the right-hand post.

Moments later, Scott Arfield followed up with an angled strike but was frustrated when the shot was deflected wide.

With 20 minutes played, Falkirk's Arnau Riera sent in a left-footed shot from close range, but Greg Fleming tipped the ball round the post.

The best opportunity of the first 30 minutes fell to Gretna's Abdul Osman when the English midfielder volleyed in a right-footed screamer from the heart of the Falkirk penalty area.

But captain Jack Ross managed to deflect and maintain the deadlock.

Graham Barrett missed an opportunity to open the scoring shortly before the break when Ross flighted in a ball for the former Livingston man to power in from the 12 yards out, but it drifted right.

With 55 minutes played, Arfield could have ended the stalemate with a right-footed effort from 20 yards out on the right wing but watched as his blistering shot drifted over the Gretna bar.

Falkirk continued to push for an opener when Barrett delivered a goal-bound close-range shot in the 64th minute, but Fleming managed to tip it over the bar.

Moutinho flighted in the resulting corner for Higdon to volley in from just outside the six-yard box but missed left.

MY SPORT: DEBATE What did you make of the game at Falkirk Stadium?

The home side kept up the pressure, with efforts from Thomas Scobie and a reply at the other end from Ben Wilkinson, but neither managed to make the scoresheet.

Latapy came on for the final 16 minutes and Finnigan made a strong appeal for a penalty when he appeared to be felled by Craig Barr.

As the final-whistle approached, Latapy sent in a curling free-kick from the edge of the penalty area following a controversial free-kick but wasted the opportunity with a yawning ball over the bar.

Kevin McBride came even closer when he drove inches wide as Falkirk sought a winner before Fleming again denied Moutinho.

Falkirk: Supple, Ross, Aafjes, Barr, Scobbie (Latapy 74), Arfield, McBride, Riera, Moutinho, Barrett (Clarke 64), Higdon (Finnigan 64). Subs Not Used: Olejnik, Cregg, Bradley, Mitchell.

Gretna: Fleming, Barr, Meynell, Griffiths, Skelton, Osman, Wilkinson (Hall 77), Deverdics, McGill (Baldacchino 85), Kissock (Hogg 90), Naughton. Subs Not Used: Krysiak, Robinson, Taylor, Sharples.

Booked: Hall, Griffiths.

Att: 4,490

Ref: S O'Reilly.

BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Gretna's Ben Wilkinson, Nicky Deverdics, Brendan McGill 10 points (on 90 minutes).

• Please note that you can still give the players marks out of 10 on BBC Sport's Player Rater after the match has finished.