Falkirk

Grant Heaney
Fan writer

Saturday's 3-2 defeat to Dundee United was a deflating one, but it also shows just how far we've come in such a short space of time.

The fact that we're disappointed not to have won against the side that finished fourth last season speaks volumes about the progress we've made. It was also a stark reminder of just how cutthroat this league can be.

There's plenty of talk about us clinching a top-six spot - which is still very much within reach - but falling short wouldn't be a failure. Our main goal this season was survival, and we're comfortably on course to achieving that.

Before a ball was even kicked last summer, many supporters - myself included - would probably have settled for preserving our top-flight status via a nerve-shredding play-off if need be.

To be part of the top-six conversation at this stage is a testament to the fantastic work John McGlynn and the players have done up until now. A tough pre-split schedule means the top six isn't guaranteed, but missing out shouldn't tarnish what has been a terrific campaign.

And with a huge Scottish Cup quarter-final tie on the horizon, likely against Dundee United, there's a perfect, quickfire chance to respond to Saturday's setback in the best possible way.

Whatever happens over the next few months, we've made huge strides this season - and there's plenty to be positive about, with the best still possibly to come.

Dundee United get the better of Falkirk in a five-goal Scottish Premiership encounter (UK users only).

We sought your views after Falkirk's 3-2 defeat by Dundee United...

Dave: Have to say ref had a shocker. Red card dubious. Obvious foul for one of their goals on a Falkirk player in build-up. We will come again. We have the bonding in the team.

Colin: The referee had a nightmare with loads of poor decisions. Dundee Utd players consistently fouled with no bookings. The sending off took place just over the halfway line with two Falkirk players level and chasing back. The ref wasted the game.

Don: Never seen anything like it in years. The video evidence speaks for itself and even that misses 90% of what went on. I'll park it there. We all saw what went on. Shocking.

Nathan: Where do we start here then? First of all, this would've been a great game for the neutral with ourselves scoring two brilliant goals however a great game in the end is spoilt by SFA officiating incompetence if we gloss over the blatant 12th man for United. No matter what circumstance, Henderson should never have been sent off if the officials deem this as a last man foul then Neilson is five yards behind it so it's not last man, it's not denial of a goalscoring opportunity as it's 50 yards from the goal and it's not a red for the tackle because it's a tactical foul, which is always a yellow card. In terms of the goals we lost the first is a combination of errors which we haven't done a lot this season, Sibbald's goal is a moment of pure quality - he's still welcome back at Falkirk anytime - and the third goal is a great finish so I'm not complaining about the actual goals but the SFA need to take a long hard look at themselves and their hiring of officials.

Dundee United came from behind to win a five-goal thriller against 10-man Falkirk and breathe fresh life into their hopes of catching the Bairns for a top-six spot in the Scottish Premiership.

Read the match report here.

Let us know your thoughts here.

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn tells BBC Sportsound: "I don't think we deserved to lose the game. We've scored two cracking goals.

"We make an error for their goal, which allowed Dundee United to get back in the game.

"Second half, we lose [another] very, very quick equaliser, which I'm really disappointed about. From scoring that goal to losing the goal, it's far too quick. We have to do better than that.

"And then it's 11 men against 10. Disappointed that we didn't deal with that better. We don't do enough to keep the ball out the back of the net, basically. I don't think we deserved to lose. We've been on a good run. We're not going to beat ourselves up.

"We have a heady schedule. I think we've played four games in the period that United have not played at all. So we can't be too harsh on ourselves."

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Falkirk have Scott Bain and Kyrell Wilson back but Connor Allan is a doubt after sustaining a head injury in training. Ben Parkinson (ankle) and Ethan Williams (thigh) remain out.

Dundee United pair Amar Fatah and Pan Camara are suspended but midfielder Emmanuel Agyei is in contention for a debut. Long-term absentee Isaac Pappoe (knee) remains out.

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn has told their players to "keep doing what they are doing" in the hope their impressive season ends with qualification for Europe.

Last season's Championship winners find themselves in sixth place in the table, behind Hibernian on goal difference, and will be aiming for another victory when they host Dundee United on Saturday.

"I'm not going be getting a loudhailer out and saying we're going for Europe, but if we continue to win games, it will come along with that," McGlynn said.

"We're breathing doing the neck of Hibs, for example, who are a huge, huge football club.

"They've brought in a lot of players there just towards the end of that window and they played very well the other night against Hearts.

"You can see maybe that the players are going to make a little bit of difference to them, who knows?

"So it's going to be very, very difficult, but we're in the hunt now, we've got a ticket for the raffle. We're right in there.

"So I think we've got to just continue doing what we're doing."

A top-six spot looks much more likely than not but McGlynn wants his team to embrace the challenge of climbing further and says they can't let up now.

"We're really enjoying it," he added. "We're in a position now that we can actually enjoy it. But without easing up at all…we have to keep our foot to the floor.

"We have got ourselves in a position that's a great position. And we've got a little cushion.

"Our ambition is still to do the best you possibly can. We look to win and try to get closer and go above Hibs. That is the next challenge."

Image source, SNS

• Falkirk have dropped a league-low two points from winning positions in the Scottish Premiership this season, while conversely Dundee United have recovered a league-high 10 points from losing positions.

• Dundee United have lost their past four league games, last losing five in a row in the top flight in May 2023.

• Falkirk have won their past two league games and could win three in a row in the top flight for the first time since January 2008 (four).

• After their 3-1 win over Livingston in December, Dundee United could win back-to-back Scottish Premiership matches against newly-promoted opponents for the first time since May 2015.

• Falkirk have won none of their past four top-flight home games against Dundee United (D2 L2), after having won four in a row before this run.

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Goalkeeper Nicky Hogarth earned the praise of Falkirk boss John McGlynn after stepping in at short notice for the first top-flight start of his career.

The 24-year-old was a late replacement for Scott Bain after the former Celtic keeper pulled out with illness in the warm-up to Falkirk's 1-0 win over Dundee.

Hogarth made four saves and marked the occasion with a clean sheet despite conceding a 95th-minute penalty for hauling down Joe Bevan, as Yan Dhanda sent the spot-kick wide.

McGlynn said: "Nicky did great. On a night like that when shots are coming in and they are probably oving all over the place, his handling was really good, his kicking was really good and his decision-making was good.

"It was a really good performance from him and delighted to get a clean sheet.

"There was a bit of disruption. We made five changes against [Stenhousemuir] and five changes again, and for his own benefit we took Brad Spencer out because of a little ankle injury.

"So the cohesion maybe wasn't there but it was good for the guys coming in."

We asked for your views after Falkirk's narrow 1-0 win over Dundee in which the visitors missed a late penalty.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Nathan: A more open encounter than the our previous games against Dundee and in the end we've gained a vital three points. Ben Broggio took his goal well when the ball dropped for him and I think Nicky Hogarth actually had a great game covering for Scott Bain, he was a bit unlucky for the penalty. All in all a great result which we had to graft for amid a hectic fixture schedule along with a touch of luck for the penalty.

Tommy: Don't look for pretty football every game, it doesn't happen. Look at Rangers and Celtic, you need a bit luck. Conditions didn't help, well done the Bairns for digging in. Clean sheet, three points, next game. Falkirk will have a say in who wins this league.

Watch all the highlights as Falkirk scraped a 1-0 win over Dundee as the visitors missed a late penalty. Available to UK users only

Ben Broggio's first Falkirk goal propelled the dogged hosts past Dundee and level on points with fifth-placed Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership.

Read the match report here.

Let us know your thoughts here.

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn tells BBC Scotland: "Horrible night for watching football. The fans braved it tonight, the wind blowing the ball all over the place.

"But I thought the teams put on a good show. We got the all-important goal and we got a bit of fortune that Dundee missed the penalty right at the end. I said to the players before the game it might have been a toss of the coin."

On goalkeeper Scott Bain: "He picked up a bug, went out for the warm up and was feeling ill. Delighted for Nicky [Hogarth] to keep a clean sheet. He played a big part in that and did the job tonight.

"We felt 40 points this season would keep us up. Without getting carried away, I think we'll stay up.

"We're absolutely delighted with where we're at. It's beyond our expectations but we're enjoying it."

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• Both league matches between Falkirk and Dundee this season have been home wins, with the Bairns notching their first victory of the campaign by beating Steven Pressley's side 2-1 in October.

• Dundee have won three of their past five Scottish Premiership games against newly-promoted opponents (D1 L1), as many as their previous 16 beforehand (W3 D5 L8).

• Falkirk have won five of their past eight league games (L3), as many as their first 17 of the season beforehand (W5 D6 L6).

• Only Livingston (zero) have fewer away wins in the Premiership this season than Dundee (one), who have scored just five goals on the road this term, the fewest of any side.

• Dundee's Ethan Hamilton has had more shots without scoring than any player in the Scottish Premiership this season (38). Thirty of those shots have been from outside the box, with his expected goals tally at just 1.42 (0.037 xG per shot).

Image source, SNS

Falkirk midfielder Brad Spencer (ankle) is a doubt and Kyrell Wilson (calf) drops out but Liam Henderson will be available after recovering from a calf injury.

Ben Parkinson (ankle) and Ethan Williams (thigh) remain out.

Dundee could hand a debut to Lewis Montsma. They remain without centre-backs Billy Koumetio (knee) and Clark Robertson (thigh) plus forwards Joe Westley (ankle) and Ashley Hay (broken toe).

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Falkirk boss John McGlynn believes his high-flying side are close to guaranteeing Premiership survival but admits he has ambitions for something far better than just avoiding the drop.

Last season's Championship winners have impressed on their return to the top flight and have already racked up 36 points and sit in sixth place.

Though in a strong position for a top-six finish, McGlynn immediate concern is with securing a place in the league and he believes victory at home against Dundee on Wednesday night would all but guarantee that.

"Yeah, with 39 points, we would be very close," he said. "Two home games coming up against both Dundee teams.

"We would like to get that marker that we set, get to that 40-point mark as quick as we can."

As well as targeting a place in the top half of the Premiership after the split, the Bairns still have Scottish Cup dreams, having been drawn to face Dundee United or Spartans in the quarter-finals.

The manager says there's a real possibility to do something remarkable and build on two memorable seasons and constant improvement.

"We've got to be motivated and we've got to put this across to the players that this could be an absolute special season," McGlynn said.

"That's what we are saying as well, without getting carried away.

"We've been on a upward trajectory as far I'm concerned, from the minute we've come in, we've been continually getting better and better and growing and growing.

"You've got to have ambition and that's what drives me in particular, the ambition.

"Not getting paid a fortune but the ambition to achieve and try to create records all the time, which we've done, with the Invincible season [unbeaten when winning League One in 2024], so many games unbeaten, and probably the highest position in the Premiership for a long, long time.

"So, yeah, we want to continue. A cup run is fantastic. We've got ourselves into the quarter-finals.

"You're never going to get an easy game at the quarter-final stage, but we're at home. It's a 50/50. It could be an amazing season."

Grant Heaney
Fan writer

The Bairns have rightly received plenty of plaudits for their brand of attacking football this season, but in recent weeks we have seen another side to this team that is every bit as encouraging - even if it hasn't always been easy on the eye.

Last Wednesday night's 2-1 win away to Livingston was a perfect example. It's a venue that has caused us no end of problems over the years, and one where past Falkirk sides may well have faltered.

In truth, the game should have been far more comfortable than the scoreline suggests, but the key takeaway was we dug in, weathered the storm, and came away with all three points.

In previous seasons - particularly during last year's title race - that simply didn't happen against Livingston.

Sunday's Scottish Cup tie away to Stenhousemuir followed a similar script. While it looked like a favourable draw on paper, history told us it would be anything but straightforward.

As the clock ticked towards a penalty shootout at Ochilview, many supporters (myself included) were beginning to fear the worst.

This Bairns side, however, is built differently. There was a calm determination and persistence on show - qualities that allowed us to grind out a hard-fought win on a night where very little clicked.

Winning ugly isn't glamorous, but it's a trait shared by successful teams. The fact we can now combine our attacking identity with the ability to scrap and dig out results bodes extremely well for the remainder of the season.

Falkirk manager John McGlynn has dismissed a claim that Celtic were interested in Calvin Miller on transfer deadline day, insisting they received no contact from the 28-year-old wide man's former club last month. (Glasgow Times), external

Read the rest of Tuesday's Scottish gossip.

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For fans of Aberdeen, Dundee United, Falkirk, Motherwell, and St Mirren, the Scottish Cup draw went about as well as it could have done.

They all avoided the Old Firm at the quarter-final stage and, while games against Falkirk and Motherwell have been no easy feat this season, there is a real sense it could be anyone's year.

For fans of Rangers or Celtic, who face each other at Ibrox in the next round, a route to glory is also clear. Beat your biggest rivals in a one-off game, and you become favourites for the Cup.

"What I'm so excited about is the fact any Premiership team can win it," said Craig Telfer, podcast host and Stenhousemuir fan.

While his beloved Stenny side were beaten by their local rivals on Sunday night, he admitted: "Falkirk could actually see themselves winning. Aberdeen or Motherwell, whoever comes out that, can see themselves winning it.

"You've got a Celtic team that aren't particularly good, and while Rangers are getting better, they can be got at. This is wide open for any Premiership team to go and win it."

Dundee United have beaten Celtic this season, as have Motherwell, while St Mirren famously triumphed against them at Hampden in the League Cup final.

St Mirren and Motherwell have also taken points off Rangers, as have Falkirk and Dundee United.

It is only Aberdeen who have been beaten by the Old Firm at every opportunity, but memories of last year's Cup triumph over Celtic will spur them on.

"[As a non-Old Firm fan] you always want to see Rangers and Celtic drawing with each other as early as possible in the competition to knock them out," Telfer added.

"Once they're out, or it's just one of the Old Firm teams in there, every other team should be looking to win it."

Of course, Aberdeen and Motherwell are yet to meet after their fifth round tie was postponed, while Dundee United still have to avoid an upset against The Spartans.

And don't rule out Neil Lennon, who has won this competition eight times throughout his playing and managerial career, and his Dunfermline side.

• Craig Telfer was speaking on the Scottish Football Podcast, available here.