Falkirk, nicknamed the Bairns, secured their first Scottish Premiership win of the season by beating Hearts 2-1, ending the visitors' run of six straight domestic victories under head coach Wouter Vrancken.
A draw would have been enough to lift Hearts above Rangers in the table, but Falkirk were full value for a win built on Ben Krahaus's first-half opener and a second-half winner from Derby County loanee Owen Eames, who was the outstanding player on the pitch. James Wilson's equaliser for Hearts came in between.
Vrancken and his players had no complaints about the result. Falkirk repeatedly carved open a Hearts defence that gave the ball away in dangerous areas and conceded chances throughout the match. Unless Vrancken addresses that vulnerability, Hearts' prospects of mounting another serious title challenge look slim.
It was an evening to savour for Falkirk manager John McGlynn, whose team produced lively attacking football despite an indifferent start to the season. Falkirk had gone into the game without a league win, but there was no sense of panic in the camp, with the squad convinced their performances had been better than the results suggested.
Krahaus puts Falkirk ahead
Falkirk broke the deadlock in the eighth minute after a passage of play that left Hearts stretched at the back. Captain Brad Spencer played a precise pass from a deep position to send right-back Ryan Strain scampering clear down the right. Strain showed composure to pick out Krahaus, on loan from Brentford, who drilled a shot from around 14 yards past goalkeeper Beau Reus and into the roof of the net.
Falkirk continued to swarm all over Hearts, who were especially vulnerable down their left flank, where left-back Harry Milne looked short of his usual assurance. Milne made amends in the 22nd minute, however, feeding winger Josh McPake, who had been anonymous up to that point but showed great strength to drive into the penalty area. McPake's low ball across the six-yard box caused chaos, and Wilson got the final touch from close range for his fifth goal of the season.
Wilson should have made it six a minute later when McPake again supplied him from the left, this time with a cutback that picked him out unmarked around 12 yards from goal. The teenager scooped his shot well over the bar.
Beaton jeered on his return to a Hearts fixture
The match marked referee John Beaton's first involvement in a Hearts game since the controversy that overshadowed the end of last season, when he backed a VAR decision to award Celtic a late penalty against Motherwell at Fir Park in May, a moment that proved crucial to Hearts missing out on the Premiership title. Beaton was jeered by Hearts fans from the moment he emerged for his pre-match warm-up.
Midway through the first half, Beaton booked Claudio Braga for a late challenge on Spencer. Falkirk supporters wanted a red card, but VAR backed the original decision, sparing Beaton the prospect of dismissing the Hearts fans' poster boy.
A mistake from Braga almost let Falkirk back in front before the break. His loose ball sent Eames racing clear down the left, and his low cross caused real trouble for the Hearts defence. Stuart Findlay got there first, but his clearance sliced narrowly wide of his own goal.
Hearts made a change at the interval, sending on American striker JJ Williams for Wilson, but they continued to live dangerously at the back.
Eames punishes more Hearts slackness
Three minutes into the second half, Ipswich Town loanee Finlay Barbrook, another of the English loan signings brought in by McGlynn last month, worked neat footwork to get into a promising position on the edge of the box, only for his shot to be saved by Reus with his feet before Jamie McCart headed the loose ball clear.
Hearts should have levelled matters at the other end when Williams met a low cross from Yan Dhanda from no more than six yards, but he fired his shot straight at goalkeeper Scott Bain.
Falkirk remained the more progressive side, and Eames served notice of his threat when his shot was deflected narrowly wide in the 62nd minute. Six minutes later he made no mistake, punishing yet more slackness from the Hearts defence by rolling a low shot in off the inside of Reus's right-hand post to restore Falkirk's lead.
Falkirk should have made the win more emphatic. Substitute CJ Fodrey blazed over an open goal after Ethan Ross had struck a post in the 90th minute, but neither miss did anything to dilute the celebrations of the home supporters at full time.
