SUPER skipper Steven Thomson scored a wonder goal as Falkirk ran riot at Love Street but the midfielder insisted it was still well short of his best-ever strike.
Thomson blasted in a goal of the season contender in the 5-1 thumping as the slick Bairns leapfrogged shattered St Mirren into eighth in the SPL table.
And after the game the 29-year-old said: "All the lads in the dressing-room are saying it could be the goal of the season which is not bad considering it was with my weaker foot.
"It's not the best goal I've scored though. When I was at Peterborough I once stuck the ball in the net from the halfway line!
"Michael Higdon was telling me before the game to make a run and he would try to flick the ball on and that's what happened."
Thomson's cracker was sandwiched between two well-taken Pedro Moutinho strikes to put the Bairns on easy street in the first half.
The Buddies threatened to stage a comeback when Billy Mehmet scored a fine goal early in the second half but it wasn't enough and Graham Barrett and substitute Carl Finnigan netted late on to make it a rout.
Bairns boss John Hughes insisted his side had been threatening to dish out a thrashing all season.
He said: "It was a fantastic performance and one that's been coming for some time."
Falkirk had lost their last two meetings with St Mirren but with just five minutes on the clock the Bairns took the lead and it was a simple goal - but a bad one for the Buddies to concede.
Patrick Cregg passed straight down the middle to Moutinho and neither John Potter and Andy Millen could stop the Portuguese striker as he worked his way between them before stabbing home.
Millen was then involved in some off-the-ball controversy when he elbowed Barrett in the face but referee Brian Winter and his linesmen missed it and he was lucky to escape a booking.
Things then went from bad to worse for the Buddies on the quarter-hour mark as Falkirk doubled their lead and again the central defence didn't look too clever.
But that should take nothing away from the brilliant quality of the finish Thomson produced.
The impressive Higdon beat Potter in the air and his header went to Thomson who controlled on his chest before flicking the ball over Milllen's head with his right foot then lashing it home on the volley with his left.
St Mirren looked down and out at that stage but Chris Birchall had a golden chance to throw them a lifeline when Mehmet picked him out only for the unmarked Englishman to send his closerange header over the bar.
But it was Falkirk who struck next as Hughes' side upped the tempo again.
Gerard Aafjes ran down the right and his cross was allowed to go all the way to Moutinho at the back post. His sweet half-volley from a tight angle bulged the net.
The home side were jeered off at the break but rallied in the second half and just fourminutes after the restart pulled one back with Mehmet's thunderous volley from Birchall's cross giving keeper Tim Krul no chance.
Franco Miranda then went agonisingly close to pulling another back in the 67th minute with a free-kick that rattled the bar with the Bairns keeper beaten.
But the final goal action came at the other end as Falkirk made sure of the points late on with Barrett heading home Moutinho's cross before Finnigan was sent clear and rounded Chris Smith to roll the ball into an empty net.
MATCH STATS
ST MIRREN
SHOTS ON 2
SHOTS OFF 3
OFFSIDE 2
FOULS 10
CORNERS 3
BOOKINGS 1
FALKIRK
SHOTS ON 8
SHOTS OFF 4
OFFSIDE 3
FOULS 10
CORNERS 3
BOOKINGS 2
REF WATCH
BRIAN WINTER should have spotted Andy Millen's elbow on Graham Barrett in the first half. Apart fromthat he let the game flow and there can be no complaints with the three bookings dished out. Rating: 6/10
