Both teams have found wins hard to come by lately and this was a result that neither wanted.
The visitors created the better chances and the defeat of Inverness at home to Motherwell meant they eased two points clear of their relegation rivals, but the Hibernian fans made their own frustration clear as boos sounded around Easter Road at full-time, with the home side slipping further behind in the race for a top-six finish.
Paatelainen had to endure calls for his head after last weekend's 2-0 defeat to bottom club Inverness Caledonian Thistle, and the Finn responded by surprisingly making only two changes to the starting 11 which he criticised so heavily in the Highlands.
Paatelainen's stinging criticism of his players' lack of effort last weekend appeared to have the desired effect in the early stages as the home side chased every lost cause and competed for every loose ball.
Derek Riordan, one of four strikers in the Hibs line-up, was particularly prominent as he made two block tackles as Falkirk tried to clear their lines. In an error-strewn opening, it was predictably a mistake which gave Falkirk their first sight of the target three minutes later.
Hibernian captain Rob Jones and fellow defender Chris Hogg went for the same high ball but failed to deal with it, however goalkeeper Grzegorz Szamotulski was alert and held Steve Lovell's effort at the second attempt.
Riordan was again to the fore as Hibs launched a counter-attack thanks to a ball from Nish, but the man who started the move could not finish it as his attempt to bundle in Riordan's cross was blocked for a corner.
The second period began in similar fashion to the first but Falkirk were first to threaten seven minutes after the restart.
Scott Arfield sent in a wicked curling cross from the right which was just missed by Lovell and Michael Higdon could not direct his lunging volley on target and Arfield got a sight of goal in the 78th minute as he latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the box, but sliced his drive wide of the target.
Copyright (C) PA Sport 2010.
Last updated: 28 February 2009, 18:53
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