Bairns without duo as they meet Hibs again
Falkirk will be missing Peter Grant and Connor McGrandles when they resume battle with Hibernian for a place in the Premiership next season.
Grant (knee) and McGrandles (broken leg) have been out for the long term and will be sidelined again for the Bairns, who fought back to level the first leg at 2-2.
Boss Peter Houston said: "I would have taken a draw before the game. Hibs had plenty of the ball, however our shape was good and our work-rate was excellent.
"We sat too deep at the start of the second half and that allowed Hibs to get in front, however we battled back. It is all to play for and Falkirk are in the race."
Hibernian head coach Alan Stubbs insists he has moved on from Tuesday's handball controversy.
But Stubbs has told his players to remember how well they played in the second half of their 2-2 draw with Falkirk and take that into Friday night's return leg.
Hibs came from a goal behind to lead 2-1 and had a strong penalty claim rejected when Bairns defender David McCracken handled in his own box, only for Bob McHugh to hit a late equaliser.
But Stubbs does not want to dwell on Alan Muir's decision or use it to fire up his players ahead of the second leg of the Ladbrokes Premiership play-off at the Falkirk Stadium.
"It certainly won't be used as motivation," Stubbs told Hibs TV. "It was an unfortunate circumstance where we should have had a penalty and we never got it, and that's it. We move on.
"The most important thing as motivation was how well we played in that spell in the second half.
"If the players, which I know they will do, carry that on into Friday, then we give ourselves a better opportunity of getting a result against a good Falkirk team.
"I look at my team and we are more than capable of going to Falkirk and getting a result. I have every confidence in my group of players."
Stubbs will have Marvin Bartley back in his squad after the midfielder missed the first leg with a tight hamstring.
Source: PAR
