Falkirk defender Sean Mackie was targeted by a missile during Friday evening’s Scottish Championship clash with Ayr United in an unsavoury incident.
The Championship leaders made the trip to Ayrshire knowing that a win would send them 11 points clear of second-placed Livingston and 14 ahead of Scott Brown’s Ayr, bringing them one step closer to back-to-back promotions under boss John McGlynn.
Falkirk responded strongly from a narrow 1-0 loss to Livingston in their previous away outing, and it was Mackie who handed them a deserved lead just before the break. The full-back struck the opener with an excellent low strike from distance on 44 minutes to silence Somerset Park and put the Bairns in the driving seat.
But a sour flashpoint followed during an end-to-end second half. As Mackie walked over to take a throw-in with 76 minutes on the clock, a coin was launched in his direction from the home end, prompting referee Don Robertson to stop play.
The object was picked up and handed to the fourth official, who is expected to detail the incident in his compliance report to the Scottish FA.
BBC Scotland commentator Alisdair Lamont remarked: "There's something been thrown on there. Sean Mackie targeted, which is poor stuff."
Falkirk looked to be holding firm as full-time approached — but were dealt a blow when Ethan Walker struck in the 90th minute to snatch a late, and perhaps merited, equaliser for Ayr United.
However, Walker was shown a red card moments later in stoppage time for a reckless tackle, ending his night in dramatic fashion.
The match finished 1-1, a result that still keeps Falkirk in a commanding position at the top of the table.
With just a handful of games remaining, McGlynn’s side now know that a positive result at home to Raith Rovers next weekend would be enough to officially seal the second-tier title and cap off a remarkable campaign.
