Falkirk Archives - SNN Sports

Falkirk 2-3 Dundee Utd: Visitors battle to crucial three points after late winner

Falkirk 2-3 Dundee Utd Broggio (17′) Lissah (53′) Graham (25′) Sibbald (55′) Eskesen (83′) Dundee United came from behind twice to edge a five-goal thriller at the Falkirk Stadium, sneaking closer to a top six berth. Falkirk, fresh from their narrow home victory over Dundee, dominated possession in the first 10 minutes. But it was the visitors who created the earliest chances. Ross Graham headed over the game’s first effort, after Scott Bain tipped over the Scotsman’s back-post header from a whipped Kristijan Trapanovski free kick. Craig Sibbald flashed wide from the edge of the box from the resultant corner Avoiding defeat felt paramount for Jim Goodwin’s men, who have drifted from the top six pack. Liam Henderson cleared Ryan Strain’s dangerous low cross in the 15th minute as they continued to build into the game. Falkirk burst into life after 17 minutes. Ben Broggio’s first-time strike found the bottom left corner from the edge of the box after neat interplay. The Aston Villa loanee had enjoyed a positive start to his Scottish spell, registering his second goal in two starts for the Bairns. Just when the hosts looked set to seize control, United responded. Bain’s attempted punch fell kindly into the path of Graham, who had the simple task of rolling into an empty net in the 25th minute. The goalie would have been frustrated with his efforts, a gift for the visitors. Neilson’s header cannoned off the crossbar from behind after Miller’s inswinging free-kick shortly after, but as the halftime whistle blew, Goodwin would have been the happier manager. The hosts started positively in the second half and deservedly retook the lead. Leon McCann’s wicked left-footed cross to the back post was volleyed home by Filip Lissah in the 53rd minute. However, United would hit back instantly. Former Bairn Craig Sibbald stroked home a composed left-footed strike from the edge of the box to claw Goodwin’s men level. The sides’ previous encounter at the Falkirk Stadium served up a cracker, and today’s meeting delivered in a similar, frantic fashion. Lissah has become a standout for McGlynn’s side, and the Swansea loanee was a constant threat for the hosts. He marauded down the Falkirk right after dispossessing Zac Sapsford. A powerful strike from the edge of the box was brilliantly tipped over by Ashley Maynard-Brewer. Ryan Lee reduced Falkirk to ten men after Henderson hauled Max Watters to the floor. After consulting the VAR monitor, the defender’s yellow was upgraded to red, with Henderson the last man. Despite the disadvantage, the match remained even. Graham blazed over from close range after a Will Ferry corner in the 76th minute as United searched for the crucial third. United took the lead for the first time to break Falkirk hearts. Ferry flicked on Ryan Strain’s right-sided cross, which dropped kindly into the path of substitute Julius Eskesen. The Dane took one touch and smashed a right-footed strike across Bain, sending the away allocation behind the goal into frenzy. Falkirk battled till the final whistle to no avail as Goodwin’s men secured a priceless three points. They edge closer to the top six, ahead of a congested fixture schedule in the league, and Scottish Cup. Falkirk: Bain 4 Lissah 8 Neilson 6 Henderson 6 McCann 7 Spencer 6 Broggio 7 Tait 6 Miller 6 Marsh 7 Stewart 7 Substitutes: Wilson 6 Cartwright 6 Donaldson 6 Graham 3 Ross 3 Dundee United: Maynard-Brewer 6 Farrugia 6 Graham 7 Keresztes 7 Strain 6 Stephenson 5 Sibbald 6 Iovu 7 Sapsford 6 Trapanovski 7 Ferry 6 Substitutes: Watters 6 Sevelj 5 Eskesen 4 Dolcek 4

February 14, 2026

Stenhousemuir 0-2 Falkirk (AET) – Two extra-time goals send Falkirk through into the last eight

Stenhousemuir welcome Falkirk in a local derby as both sides eye up a quarter-final spot in the Scottish Cup. Stenhousemuir knocked Championship Greenock Morton out after a convincing 4-0 victory to make it into this round whereas for the Bairns, they defeated high flying Hearts on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Tynecastle in the fourth round. An early corner for the visitors as Calvin Miller whips a ball in but Jamieson tips the ball away from any danger as the first chance is delt with well. Miller had a good chance after 12 minutes, a run towards the box where he fired a shot from distance which was just too high as Falkirk were unable to get ahead. Spencer with a ball over the defence into 19-year-old Broggio but it was by far an easy strike as his volley goes well over. A quiet but dominant first 20 by the Bairns with the Premiership side having a couple chances but failing to test Jamieson. For Stenny they have struggled to get the ball into the final third but other than that, haven’t started badly at all. Darren Jamieson to the rescue as first of all, a deflected strike right at the keeper well parried away which fell to Calvin Miller who took on a strike from inside the box which was brilliantly stopped once again in a quick fire double stop. Marsh soon after had a ball into the box which was met by Miller in which was a difficult chance and was smashed well into the stands. Stenny had their first chance as O’Reilly from distance decided to take one on but was just too wide of target as it went out for a goal-kick. Broggio had a cross into the box which found Marsh in the centre of the box which was struck goal bound but ended up being quite a simple stop for the Stenhousemuir number one. Stenny captain Buchanan was put into the book after 36 minutes as the defender looking to clear the ball as he did but dragged Marsh down with force in the afters which was very unneeded. Into the second half, Marsh had a ball into the back of the net but the flag was up and the goal was disallowed. 15 minutes into the second 45, Marsh again had a chance from distance but blazes over the bar. A Spencer strike from the edge of the box edges just past of goal which was the best chance of the second half as Falkirk come very close to firing ahead. Spencer had a major chance moments later, a free-kick from just outside the box but powerfully punched away by Jamieson. Ethan Ross had a chance of his own as the ball falls at his feet and cuts inside but his strike smashes wide of goal as Stenhousemuir continue to frustrate Falkirk. Calvin Miller with a ball into the box found Barney Stewart who headed it towards goal but tipped over calmly by the Stenny number one. Extra-time was required as Falkirk were unable to break down the Stenhousemuir defence throughout the game as the League One side force the Bairns’ into an additional half-hour. Into the additional period, the Falkirk pressure continued but just really struggled to test Jamieson in goal enough despite the dominance but the League One doing everything they can to defend their box. Adams was found in a tonne of space on the flank which was crossed into Wilson who passed it into Spencer who fired the shot wide in an effort he really has to be doing better in. Falkirk fired ahead just before half-time in extra-time as the ball landed to Spencer who took a couple touches and then smashed a nice clean strike which powerfully fired past Jamieson as the Premiership side finally find themselves ahead. Early into the second half in extra-time, Falkirk sealed up the win as a free-kick in from the goal scorer Spencer which found the head of Stewart who headed it into the net to seal a spot in the next round. The full-time whistle goes as two extra-time goals seal Falkirk’s place in the quarter-finals despite a strong showing by Stenhousemuir but no cup upset this evening at Ochilview Park. Stenhousemuir: D. Jamieson (6), Meechan (7), Graham (6), Buchanan (7), N. Jamieson (8), Bilham (6), McGill (6), O’Reilly (6), Whyte (6), Carrick (6), Aitken (6). Substitutes: Grant (6), Cameron (6), Ewan (5), Gray (6), Simpson (6). Falkirk: Bain (6), McCann (7), Adams (7), Neilson (6), Donaldson (6), Miller (7), Marsh (7), Tait (7), Spencer (9), Broggio (7), Graham (6). Substitutes: Stewart (8), Ross (8), Wilson (7), Nesbitt (6), Lissah (6), Allan (6).

February 8, 2026

Falkirk 4-1 Hibernian: Falkirk dismantle Hibs with ease as Barney Stewart nets hat-trick

Falkirk ran out convincing 4-1 winners over Hibernian at the Falkirk stadium on Saturday afternoon courtesy of a hat-trick from Barney Stewart and an own goal from Grant Hanley. John McGlynn’s side are now only two points behind fifth-place Hibs as their impressive return to the Scottish Premiership continues. Despite the visitors doing well to control the first 15 minutes, it was Falkirk who took the lead in the 17th minute as Calvin Miller raced to the byline before playing an inviting low ball across the face off the Hibs goalmouth that was met by Falkirk striker Barney Stewart who was there to side-foot the ball into the net. Following a lengthy VAR check for a potential offside, Barney’s opening goal was awarded. Hibs’ best chance of the game so far came after the half hour mark when Scotland International Grant Hanley came close to equalising from a free kick, Falkirk Goalkeeper Scott Bain done exceptionally well to tip it over the bar and ensure his side remanded ahead. Falkirk were unfortunate not to have doubled their lead as they had two opportunities within a few minutes; Kyrell Wilson struck from inside the area as his shot sailed inches wide of the Hibs goal. Raphael Sallinger then got down well to push away Calvin Miller’s fierce effort from close range. Barney Stewart netted his second of the afternoon and gave Falkirk a comfortable two goal cushion on the 43rd minute. The build-up play was almost identical to the first goal with Calvin Miller skipping past the Hibs defence with ease before delivering a low cross for Barney Stewart who was once again on hand to finish beyond Sallinger in the Hibs net. The Bairns headed into the interval 2-0 up after an impressive first half showing. Hibs made an attacking change at the break with Elie Youan coming on in place of Centre-back Jack Iredale as David Gray’s side changed shape to a 4-3-3. On the hour mark, Hibs found a way back into the game as Rocky Bushiri rose highest to head the ball home from Jordan Obita’s corner kick delivery to give his side a lifeline. With twenty minutes remaining, Falkirk were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous area as Calvin Miller stepped up to take it 20 yards from goal, Raphael Sallinger was on hand to get a hand to it and tip it over the crossbar for a corner which Falkirk failed to threaten from. Hibs substitute Rudi Molotnikov was involved in play instantly as the Youngster picked the ball up in a good position high up the park before he cut inside forcing Scott Bain to save well. Both sides had struggled to create any real quality going forward for large spells throughout the second half resulting in a quieter affair. Despite that, Falkirk all but secured the three points in the 83rd minute when Barney Stewart netted his first ever hat-trick for the club as any hope of a comeback from the visitors now looked near impossible. The Bairns made certain of victory as the game approached additional time, Louie Marsh fired the ball across goal as the ball deflected off Grant Hanley’s right foot as he was unable to prevent the own goal to cap off what had been a disastrous afternoon for the Hibees.

January 24, 2026

We’ve shown a lot of courage – John McGlynn

John McGlynn lauded his side’s bottle after holding their nerve to defeat Hearts on penalties in the Scottish Cup. Ben Parkinson’s goal and penalty sealed the Bairns’ progression to the 5th round, with McGlynn praising the “brilliant” result at full-time. ‘A huge game to come to the league leaders, it wasn’t the draw we were hoping for, I thought we were miles off it in the first half, Hearts popped the ball about for fun’ ‘We had to make changes at halftime, we had a shape that we didn’t really carry out as well as we should have done, so we changed halfway through the first half, and had to make changes at halftime’ Which worked, we started the second half much better, scored a really good goal and then it’s a matter of trying to hold on.’ ’It was just a matter of battling, I’m delighted to see we’ve shown a lot of courage with the penalties.’ ‘It takes a bit of bottle to go up and strike the penalties in.’ Falkirk announced the signing of Newcastle forward Ben Parkinson last week. McGlynn praised the 20-year-old’s “bravery” in taking the final penalty. ‘He has just come to the club, he went on the other night and wanted to take the last penalty. He showed courage, bravery, we’ve got a player there, the way he’s taken his goal, having that character to go up and put it in.’ ‘It says a lot about him, a lot about our team, we’ve come to the league leaders tonight, and we had to battle, it wasn’t beautiful, we had to dig in, there are many ways to win a football match, and sometimes it’s unfair on penalties.’ ‘We are delighted to be through, can’t wait for the draw tomorrow night and see who we’ve got.’

January 19, 2026

Hearts 1-1 Falkirk (4-5 on pens): Parkinson the hero as Bairns progress to 5th round

Hearts 1-1 Falkirk (4-5 penalties) Parkinson (59′) Shankland (85′ pen) Ben Parkinson’s goal and winning penalty sent Falkirk to the 5th round of the Scottish Cup, dumping the league leaders out at Tynecastle. Hearts started brightly, in an otherwise bleak first half. Claudio Braga raced clear of the Falkirk backline in the opening minutes, but scuffed his left-footed striker wide of Scott Bain’s goal. Alexandros Kyziridis produced a world-class goal to break the deadlock against Falkirk in September. He attempted a similar 25-yard strike after collecting Tomas Magnusson’s cross-field ball, but Bain gathered the bobbling effort. Derek McInnes’s side enjoyed plenty of possession in the opening 25 minutes without scoring, to the delight of the large travelling support, who filled most of the Roseburn end. Chances were few and far between for the visitors in the first half. Leon McCann raced towards Alexander Schwolow’s goal on the half-hour mark after picking up a pocket of space. His left-footed strike had power, but was pushed away by the Austrian goalkeeper. The visitors had the final chance of the half when Filip Lissah headed over a Miller freekick. Neither side looked likely to find a goal as Nick Walsh blew his whistle for half-time. McGlynn opted for a triple substitution at the break, including the introduction of Sheffield United loanee Louie Marsh. McInnes kept the same eleven, but looked to have switched Kyziridis to the right flank, in an attempt to penetrate the visiting defence. Magnusson thought he had broken the deadlock in the 53rd minute. The ball broke kindly to the Norwegian following a hopeful long ball, stroking home from close range amidst a sea of Falkirk bodies. But a lengthy VAR check ensued, deeming that the midfielder had controlled the ball with his hand, keeping the scores level. The visiting support cheered the decision and didn’t have long to wait before celebrating again. Substitute Parkinson got across Jordi Altena to tap home Filip Lissah’s low cross in the 58th minute, sending the away allocation into frenzy. The goal galvanised the visitors, and Parkinson should have doubled their advantage after racing clear on goal moments later. But the striker failed to trouble Schwolow, slicing his strike into the Roseburn Stand. With 15 minutes to play, McInnes turned to the latest incomer, Islam Chesnokov, injecting pace into Hearts’ attack. In truth, Bain in the Falkirk goal had enjoyed a quiet second period. The hosts were awarded a lifeline with five minutes to play. Chesnokov made an immediate impact after being hacked in the box by Leon McCann, Shankland powered home the resultant penalty to level proceedings, and set up extra time. A tense extra time period ensued, as both teams wrestled for the winning goal. Miller tested Schwolow with a left-footed strike after finding space on the edge of the box. The low drive looked set to break the net, but the Austrian pushed clear to maintain level proceedings. Spittal went closest for Hearts in the 113th minute with a 25-yard free kick, which dipped narrowly over Bain’s crossbar. Falkirk responded with four minutes to play. McCann marauded into space on the left, his cross broke to substitute Ethan Ross, who blasted from 6 yards towards goal. Schwolow held firm to divert the powerful strike, and Stuart Findlay cleared the danger. Falkirk held their nerve in the penalty shootout, scoring all five of their penalties. Kabangu placed his left-footed strike over Bain’s bar before Parkinson delivered the killer blow. A marathon 120 minutes ended in delight for McGlynn’s determined bunch, for McInnes and Hearts, full focus will shift to their league title charge. Hearts: Schwolow 7 Kent 6 Halkett 7 McCart 6 Milne 6 Altena 6 Magnusson 6 Baningime 7 Kyziridis 6 Braga 5 Shankland 6 Substitutes: Spittal 5 Findlay 5 Kabore 5 Chesnokov 5 Kabangu 3 Forrester 3 Falkirk: Bain 7 McCann 6 Henderson 7 Allan 7 Lissah 7 Cartwright 6 Spencer 7 Yeats 6 Tait 7 Miller 7 Stewart 6 Substitutes: Marsh 5 Wilson 5 Parkinson 6 Adams 4 Ross 3 Graham 2

January 17, 2026

“I Can’t Remember Our Goalkeeper Being So Quiet Against Celtic” – John McGlynn

Falkirk boss John McGlynn shared disappointment over his side being unable to take anything from their 1-0 defeat at home to Celtic. It is only the third time the Bairns have lost at The Falkirk Stadium this season, with their home form being a significant factor as to why Falkirk find themselves in the top six. However, manager McGlynn was dismayed that his side lost tonight, despite having enough chances to get at least a point if not all three. He said: “Never mind being a Falkirk fan, I think any neutral individual is going to say Falkirk deserved to take something from that game. “I thought we were the better team in the first half, and created some really good opportunities and gutted to come in at half-time a goal down. “Very proud of our performance, I think it was an outstanding performance. I’ve played against Celtic many times, I can’t remember our goalkeeper being so quiet. Scott Bain’s not had an awful lot to do and that’s unusual.” Striker Barney Stewart was recalled from Dunfermline in late December after scoring 7 goals in 11 Championship appearances, but was denied twice tonight by Kasper Schmeichel in two one on one scenarios tonight. McGlynn retains faith that the goals will come for the 21-year-old. “Barney, thirteen months ago, is playing for Heriot-Watt University. He’s playing out there against Celtic, who are champions. What is he going to be like in three, four, five, six months from now having had that experience of going out there and creating the opportunities that he did? “Yeah, he didn’t take them, but keep getting in there, keep getting in they positions. It’ll start hitting the back of the net and then we’ve got a player there.” It is the third meeting between Falkirk and Celtic this season, with Celtic also winning the other two 4-1 and 4-0 both at Celtic Park. McGlynn hopes his side can take confidence into their next meeting there, which takes place in just over two weeks on February 1st. “I’m not naive. It’s different playing Celtic with 50/60,000, lovely beautiful pitch, everyone behind them. So your best chance is when you’re at home. “We go to Celtic Park on the 1st of February, so we can test the water there and how far we have come when we go back there and see if we can do something similar to that. “That would be a little bit of a guide for us. We’re not that far away from being a decent, right good side.” Falkirk travel to the capital city to face McGlynn’s former club Hearts at Tynecastle in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup this Saturday.

January 15, 2026

Falkirk 0-1 Celtic: Bairns Rue Missed Chances as Celts Escape With Win

Celtic made it back to back wins under the returning Martin O’Neill with a narrow 1-0 win away to Falkirk, becoming only the third away side to return home from The Falkirk Stadium with all three points this season. The result means the Glasgow side leapfrog their neighbours Rangers into second place on goal difference, but remain six points behind Hearts who defeated St. Mirren in tonight’s other fixture. The only goal of the game came on the stroke of half-time, with Celtic’s top goalscorer Benjamin Nygren scoring what would be the winner a minute before the whistle as he nodded an Arne Engels corner home. The home side had it much their own way in the first half, with Barney Stewart sending an early warning signal to the Celtic backline when he got in behind and fired straight at former Falkirk loanee Kasper Schmeichel seven minutes in. John McGlynn’s men maintained the pressure and came even closer fifteen minutes later, when a curled Calvin Miller set-piece from the left wing seemed to stop dead inside the Celtic six-yard box, eventually being cleared by left-back Kieran Tierney. And the biggest chance of the half would come just two minutes after. Kyrell Wilson done extremely well to beat Tierney to a ball over the top and drove in from the right, rounding Schmeichel with a smart side step, before losing balance and firing his shot high and wide. It remained one way traffic at the Falkirk Stadium and just before the half hour mark the hosts came close again. A slack pass from Daizen Maeda to his defence was pounced upon by striker Barney Stewart, who once again seen his effort swallowed by Schmeichel as the Hoops survived yet another scare. Seemingly against the run of play and with a mere minute before the half time whistle was blown, an Arne Engels in-swinging corner met the head of Benjamin Nygren. The Swede found the bottom corner and netted his tenth goal in the league this season, to give his side a perhaps undeserving lead at the break. A real collector’s item at half-time as the referee team made the only change. John Beatton swapped with his fourth official Sean Murdoch due to injury as he officiated his first game, or half if you will, of Premiership action. Celtic had the ball in the net again nine minutes into the second period courtesy of Daizen Maeda, but the Japanese forward was clearly offside and the scoreline remained 1-0. The defending champion’s first real sight on goal after the disallowed effort came around ten minutes from time. Reo Hatate was played in the box with space, and his low cross was met by Johnny Kenny. The Irishman’s attempt was blocked and bounced back off of him for a goal kick. Falkirk immediately went up the other end and produced a chance arguably bigger than any of those created in the first half. Liam Scales failed to clear a bouncing ball which landed at sub Ethan Williams’, but his strike was met by the extended leg of Kasper Schmeichel to deny his former side. The Bairns remain in the top six, five points clear of seventh placed Dundee United but will come away from this feeling aggrieved they haven’t taken anything out of the match. They travel to the capital on Saturday evening, to face Hearts in Scottish Cup action. As for Celtic, it is another win for Martin O’Neill who has won nine of hasten matches in charge over two spells as interim manager. The display did not complement the result and the Northern Irishman will no doubt be eager for reinforcements. Celtic travel to Rugby Park on Sunday to face non-league Auchinleck Talbot in the cup. FALKIRK: Bain 6, McCann 5, Henderson 6, Spencer 5, Yeats 4 (Parkinson 63’ 2), Stewart 2 (Marsh 63’ 3), Allan 6, Tait 5 (Cartwright 74’ 1), Wilson 5 (Ross 78’ 1), Lissah 7, Miller 7 (Williams 78’ 1) CELTIC: Schmeichel 7, Scales 5, Trusty 5, Nygren 7, Yang 5 (McCowan 66’ 3), Araujo 5, Tounekti 4 (Hatate 66’ 2), Engels 5 (Kenny 79’ 1), Maeda 5, McGregor 6, Tierney 6

January 14, 2026

St Mirren 0-2 Falkirk: Impressive Bairns secure all three points in Paisley

St Mirren 0-2 Falkirk Yeats 55’, Miller 61’ Falkirk earned a second successive victory in a comfortable performance over struggling St Mirren at the SMISA Stadium. The home side made two changes to the team that lost to Motherwell last week, as Liam Donnelly and Fraser Taylor replaced the suspended Alex Gogic and Jayden Richardson. Falkirk made one change to the side that beat Aberdeen last Saturday as Henry Cartwright replaced Kyrell Wilson. Despite chances for both sides in the opening period of the game, neither possessed the cutting edge to take advantage, as Dylan Tait’s deflected effort clipped the Saints’ crossbar to give Falkirk the best chance of the half. Liam Donnelly’s place in the starting eleven was cut short as he was substituted for Richardson after only 28 minutes due to a suspected shoulder injury. St Mirren faced more injury concerns as Killian Philips and Declan John were also unable to. They continued and were replaced by Scott Tanser at halftime and new signing Allan Campbell. The Bairns broke the deadlock only 10 minutes into the second half as Finn Yeats’ stunning 35-yard finish looped over the onrushing Shamal George into the St Mirren net as the Falkirk away support celebrated behind the goal. This was Yeats’ first goal of the season. They did not have to wait long for the second goal as only six minutes later, Calvin Miller picked up the ball from the edge of the box and slammed a powerful right-footed shot past George to give Falkirk a two-goal advantage only 16 minutes into the second half. This was Miller’s sixth goal in what has been an impressive season for the 28-year-old. The hosts struggled to gain any control in the last half hour of the match as Falkirk expertly saw the game out for a comfortable 2-0 victory. Following this result, St Mirren are without a win in their last four games and remain in tenth place, only four points above Kilmarnock in the relegation playoff spot. They next face a difficult trip to the capital as they face league leaders Hearts on a Wednesday night kick-off. Falkirk secured back-to-back wins for only the second time this season as they sit in the crucial sixth-placed spot in the league table, five points above Dundee United in seventh. They host Celtic on Wednesday, 7:45 kick-off, as the visitors look to restart their title charge in Martin O’Neill’s second interim spell in charge. St Mirren: George (4), Fraser (5), King (4), Freckleton (5), McMenamin (4), Philips (6), Donnelly (5), Taylor (4), John (4), N’Lundulu (4), Mandron (5) Subs: Richardson (5), Campbell (5), Tanser (4), Mullen (5), Dijksteel (5) Falkirk: Bain (8), Lissah (8), Allan (8), Henderson (8), McCann (8), Spencer (8), Cartwright (7), Tait (7), Yeats (9), Miller (9), Stewart (7) Subs: Williams (6), Ross (6), Parkinson (6), Wilson (6), Donaldson (N/A)

January 11, 2026

Falkirk 1-0 Aberdeen: Dominant Bairns Shoot into Top Six

Falkirk 1-0 Aberdeen Lissah (58′) Filip Lissah’s second-half header secured a deserved home victory for the Bairns against a passive Aberdeen side, who were unable to register a shot on target. The home side dominated large spells of the first half. Liam Henderson pounced on a Jack Milne pass just minutes in, and after feeding Calvin Millar on the left, he headed the resultant cross into Dimitar Mitov’s hands. The move set the tone for a one-sided first half, with Aberdeen looking increasingly fragile at the back. The visitors nearly registered an opening shortly after. Kenan Bilalovic, awarded with his first start, latched onto Jesper Karlsson’s forward pass, but his low delivery evaded Kevin Nisbet in the six-yard box. Henderson won a promising free kick for the Bairns after 9 minutes. Miller stepped up, whipping a dangerous left-footed strike, which looked set to finish in the bottom corner, but Mitov turned behind. Brad Spencer tested Mitov from the edge of the box after 12 minutes, as the home side continued their search for the opener. Falkirk’s dominance was largely down to the midfield pivot of Spencer and Dylan Tait, who had equal space and time to control proceedings from the centre of the park. The visiting support filled out the away section, and the sea of red voiced their disapproval of this passive performance. Spencer pounced on another slack ball from the visitors on the 20-minute mark, but Barney Stewart pushed his curling effort over the bar. Next, it was Miller’s turn to drive at the heart of the Dons’ defence three minutes later. He found Kyrell Wilson on the left edge of the box, who cut inside and struck from the edge of the box. Mitov momentarily tipped the effort into the air, but gathered the ball to keep the score goalless. Falkirk should have been ahead close to halftime. Another dangerous Spencer corner was dropped kindly for Miller in the box. From ten yards, the midfielder could not get his head over the ball as his strike sailed into the stands. The final chance of the half dropped to the visitors, Nisbet’s wayward strike drifted high into the Kevin McAllister Stand after a long Mitov ball. The Dons remained level as John Beaton blew his whistle for halftime, but would need vast improvements if they were to pick up a result. The Bairns finally found the breakthrough on the hour mark. Filip Lissah rose in the six-yard box to head home a left-sided set piece. The goal warranted the hosts’ positive display, delighting their large contingent of supporters. Nisbet nearly connected with Topi Keskinen’s low cross from the right moments later, after sensational skill from substitute Sivert Nilsen. The duo linked again in the 68th minute, with the striker’s header looking destined to nestle inside Scott Bain’s post. Thankfully for the hosts, the effort bounced off the post and trickled wide, maintaining their slender advantage. The hosts wrestled back control of the game and nearly sealed the game with mere minutes to play. Substitute Henry Cartwright drove at the Aberdeen defence, unleashing a low 25-yard strike which cannoned off the post and behind. Victory moves Falkirk into the top six, marking a perfect start to their 2026 campaign. They travel to Paisley to face a struggling St Mirren side next weekend. Jimmy Thelin and his Aberdeen side berated their side’s poor performance at full-time. A quick turnaround sees them travel to Ibrox on Tuesday evening, ahead of a double header with Rangers. Falkirk: Bain 8 Lissah 8 Allan 7 Henderson 9 McCann 8 Tait 8 Spencer 8 Yeats 8 Wilson 7 Miller 8 Stewart 7 Substitutes: Ross 7 Graham 6 Williams 6 Agyeman 6 Cartwright 6 Aberdeen: Mitov 6 Lobban 5 Knoester 6 Milne 6 Shinnie 4 Aouchiche 3 Armstrong 5 Bilalovic 4 Karlsson 5 Keskinen 5 Nisbet 5 Substitutes: Nilson 5 Polvara 5 Devlin 4 Milanovic 4 Lazetic 4

January 3, 2026

Scott Arfield could be set for the exit door as the Falkirk hero searches for game time

Falkirk midfielder, Scott Arfield may be on the verge of departing his boyhood club as the Falkirk man is in demand of extra playing time Arfield joined the Bairns back in February, helping guide his side back to the Premiership for the first time in 15 years. Scott was certainly a key player in the Championship last season, making 13 appearances where he netting on nine occasions which they went on to clinch the title following a 3-1 victory in a dramatic last game of the season against at the time, already relegated Hamilton which forced Livingston into a play-offs spot. The ex-Burnley man has only started four times in the top flight in the opening 19 games for John McGlynn’s side as the Falkirk star searches for more game time with a move becoming a real possibility. Arfield began his career in 2008 at Falkirk where he became a big player, being a regular starter before making a move down south to Huddersfield in 2010 after the Bairns were demoted to the Championship with a goalless draw with Kilmarnock sealing their fate. The midfielder spent three years with Huddersfield where he then went on to join Burnley. The ex-Huddersfield man has a short trial with the Lancashire side, impressing in a 3-0 victory over Cork City. Scott scored 9 goals within 49 appearances where he soon went on to secure promotion to the English Premier League in 2014. The Falkirk born man scored on his Premier League debut in a fascinating clash with Chelsea. Four years on, Arfield made his return to Scotland, joining Rangers. Arfield made his European debut in 2018 against FK Shkupi before making his league debut against Aberdeen. During his five-year stint in Govan, Arfield made over 200 appearances for the Ibrox outfit, netting 43 goals along the way. Scott Arfield then went to have a short spell in the USA with Charlotte before having one year at Bolton before making his return to Falkirk where Arfield was eager to make up for their relegation 15-years-ago in which they were successful, gaining promotion back to the top flight.

December 29, 2025

Falkirk