Date	Saturday, 05 April 2003
Competition	Scottish League Division 1
Fixture/Score	Falkirk 3:0 Ross County
Venue	Brockville
Attendance	3,523
Referee	John Fleming
Comments	Match Report Report from the Press & Journal. Falkirk 3 Ross County 0 Falkirk maintained their First Division lead comfortably and set themselves up for Wednesday night's Scottish Cup quarter-final replay with Dundee at Dens. The gulf in class was such it might have been Bairns double figures but for the heroics of Ross keeper Tony Bullock. Bullock pulled off reaction saves from John Henry, Owen Coyle, Davie Nicholls, Stuart Taylor and Lee Miller. Bairns player-co-manager Coyle said: "The goalkeeper made some terrific saves and kept them in it. But we were the better team and deserved our win." Veteran Coyle goes from strength to strength, setting up the first goal for Miller to side foot home in 15 minutes. Miller headed home Craig McPherson's 68th-minute cross for the second goal and his 17th of the season. Almost inevitably, Coyle grabbed the third goal five minutes from time when he flighted a chip over the stranded Bullock from the left edge of the box. Coyle said: "Lee Miller has a big future in the game and it's not just his scoring rate which makes me say that. He links well, works hard and contributes in every way. "I believe if we get the delivery into the box right, there is no one who can compete with him in the air and he can go all they way in the game. "County passed up a glorious chance to get into the game just before the hour mark when referee John Fleming puzzled everyone by awarding the visitors a penalty when John Hughes was adjudged to have pushed Brian Irvine in the box. Justice was done when Allan Ferguson dived to his left to superbly save Graham Bayne's spot-kick. "That was a vital save from Allan, " Said Coyle. "We were well on top, but if they had scored it would have given them a lift. It proved you need a second goal, even when you need a second goal, even when you are well on top. But Allan saves it well and Lee's second goal finished it." After Wednesday's cup replay, the Bairns travel to St Johnstone on Saturday for what could be the First Division title decider. County manager Alex Smith has warned his side that relegation is still a possibility. But he said: "Our fate is in our own hands. There is a three-point gap on Alloa, but it is effectively four as we have a far superior goal difference. "I haven't really been involved in relegation very often over the many years I've been the game. "It's in our own hands though and I suppose we probably couldn't expect to take which looks very likely to win the league." Smith could be without Jordan Tail for the match as the midfielder was stretchered off after just 10 minutes after an accidental clash of heads with Jamie McQuilken.
Ross County
Manager	Alexander (Alex) Smith
Starting 11	1: Anthony (Tony) Bullock, 2: Hugh Robertson, 3: Sean Webb, 4: Jordon Tait, 5: Brian Irvine, 6: Don (JNR) Cowie, 7: Mark McCulloch, 8: David Hannah, 9: Kevin McLeish, 10: Anastasios Venetis, 11: Graham Bayne
Bench	0: Leslie Fridge, 0: Steven Ferguson, 0: David Winters, 0: Craig Campbell, 0: Steven McGarry
Falkirk
Manager	Owen Coyle
Starting 11	Allan Ferguson, John Henry, John Hughes, Jamie McQuilken, Stuart Taylor, Scott McKenzie, Mark Kerr, Davie Nicholls, Craig McPherson, Lee Miller 2, Owen Coyle 1
Bench	Darren Hill, Kevin Christie, Brian Reid, Andy Rodgers, Collin Samuel