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Falkirk 3 - 2 Rangers
Communities Cup
ALLY McCOIST was living the dream a few days ago ... but last night the Falkirk Bairns gave him his worst nightmare.
He had warned his players of the need to refocus following the frenzy of their win over Celtic.
And he promised not to take the Bairns lightly or gamble with his club's League Cup defence by fielding a much-changed team.
But he couldn't resist indulging in a spot of Russian Roulette - and it blew up in his face on a night the young Falkirk players and their fans will cherish for years to come.
In the end, an injury-time blunder by No.2 keeper Neil Alexander sent the First Division minnows through to the last eight.
It was agony for Alexander who let a free-kick from outstanding ex-Celtic player Mark Millar slip though his grasp and on to the bar before batting it into his own net with the back of his hands.
But even though Allan McGregor's stand-in was the fall guy on the pitch, McCoist may feel deep down he caused this himself by taking too big a risk with his team selection.
As well as resting McGregor, the manager kept another two of his star men, Nikica Jelavic and Steven Naismith, on the bench.
Eventually they were scrambled into action but only after the Bairns had stormed into a sensational two goal lead with a second half double from fans favourite striker Farid El Allagui.
The Bairns deserved their lead. In fact, Steven Pressley's kids were superb but when they buckled late on, losing late goals to Dorin Goian and Jelavic, the game looked all but up.
Then, two minutes into injury time, Neil Alexander's nightmare arrived but this one will haunt McCoist for a while.
Steven Pressley's side included 17-year old Jay Fulton and 16-year-old Craig Sibbald .
Rangers opened up as relentlessly as the driving rain but although they saw a great deal of the ball, genuine chances were hard to engineer.
They could have taken a very early lead when Kyle Lafferty robbed Murray Wallace out on the touchline. The ball was shuttled into Steve Davis who teed up McCulloch for a shot that was comfortably saved by Michael McGovern. Bring on the next game!
Falkirk: McGovern, Duffie, Dods, Wallace, Scobbie, Bennett, Mark Millar, Weatherston (Alston 79), Sibbald, El Alagui, Jay Fulton.
Subs not used: Bowman, Dale Fulton, Graham, Ryan Millar.
Goals: El Alagui (58, 73), Mark Millar (90+3).
Yellow cards: Bennett, Mark Millar, El Alagui.
Rangers: Alexander, Whittaker, Goian, Bocanegra, Papac, Bedoya (Naismith 59), Davis, McCulloch, Wylde, Lafferty, Healy (Jelavic 55).
Subs not used: McGregor, Broadfoot, Juanma Ortiz.
Goals: Goian (83), Jelavic (87).
Yellow cards: McCulloch, Davis.
Referee: Brian Winter.
Attendance: 6,493.
Falkirk 2 - 1 Dundee
Livingston 1 - Falkirk 1
East Fife - Falkirk 1
(Ramsdens Cup)
Falkirk 1 -1 Ross County
ROSS County were a whisker away from victory on Saturday – until Bairns’ Moroccan hitman Farid El Allagui’s late leveller in a 1-1 draw.
Steven Craig, had put the Staggies bang on course for victory with a goal 15 minutes from time.
It took just eight minutes for Ross County midfielder Rocco Quinn to be walking a tightrope when he was booked for a foul on Tam Scobbie.
The visitors soon settled and a well-timed tackle from defender Darren Dods stopped Michael Gardyne as he prepared to pull the trigger and then Rhys Bennett’s challenge denied Quinn.
Bairns soon upped the tempo and Kallum Higginbotham’s shot from a Mark Millar corner was saved by Staggies keeper Michael Fraser.
A flash of magic on 26 minutes almost shot the hosts in front when El Allagui’s overhead kick finished just past the post.
Richard Brittain’s deliveries were causing Bairns problems throughout the game and, early in the second half, his free-kick was met by Gary Miller’s header, but Marc Millar cleared it on the goal-line.
County were beginning to control the match and Colin McMenamin fired wide with only former Victoria Park keeper Michael McGovern to beat, then Gardyne hit the bar with a shot from close range.
On 75 minutes, Derek Adams’ side’s pressure paid off when Craig showed his class when he headed home a cross from Marc Fitzpatrick.
The young Bairns, however, refused to fold and came storming back with the equaliser with just four minutes remaining when Farid El Allagui looped a header over Fraser into the net when he connected with a Higginbotham cross, followed by his tradebark celebratory kissing of Lee Bullens pound coin holding hand.
Falkirk: McGovern, Duffie, Dods, Alston (Wallace 78), Scobbie, J Fulton (Graham 85), Millar, Murdoch, Sibbald (D Ulton 72), El Allagui, Higginbotham. Subs not used: Bowman (GK), Dick.
Ross County: Fraser, Miller, Boyd, Munro (Flynn 85), Fitzpatrick, Brittain, Lawson, Quinn, Gardyne (Morrison 88), Craig, McMenamin (Corcoran 65). Subs not used: Malin (GK), Byrne.
Attendance: 3,009.
Referee: Mike Tumilty
Falkirk 3 -1 Stenhousemuir
Ayr United 2 - 2 Falkirk
Falkirk 2-1 Partick Thistle
The Bairns took the lead after eight minutes through Farid El Alagui, who collected Stewart Murdoch's pass to slot home from close range.
Doolan equalised for Thistle 10 minutes before the break with a 25-yard strike into the bottom corner.
Bairns restored the lead five minutes after the restart when Tam Scobbie's cross was powerfully headed home by Kallum Higginbotham.
Thistle could have equalised from the spot when Michael McGovern was adjudged to have fouled Thomas Stewart, but Doolan skewed his wide.
Thistle came close three minutes later, but Aaron Sinclair's header hit the bar and Falkirk managed to hold on
Falkirk: McGovern, Duffie, Bennett, Wallace, Scobbie, Dale Fulton, Murdoch, Alston (Jay Fulton 54), Weatherston (Brisbane 65), El Alagui, Higginbotham. Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Graham, Bowman.
Goals: El Alagui 8, Higginbotham 50.
Partick: Fox, Paton, Kinniburgh, Archibald, Sinclair, Cairney, Rowson, Scott Robertson, Stewart, Doolan, Erskine (Flannigan 77). Subs Not Used: Burns, Lindsay, Balatoni, Scully.
Booked: Scott Robertson.
Goals: Doolan 36.
Att: 3,036
Ref: Crawford Allan
Falkirk 2-0 Dundee
(Ramsdens Cup)
The Dark Blues had boasted a perfect record, having seen off Arbroath, Dumbarton and Partick Thistle, but the Bairns fully deserved the victory given to them by Farid El Allagui's 42nd-minute goal, and it is our name that goes into the quarter-final draw.
Bairns just had more of a cutting edge to their play than a Dens side without injured strike duo Graham Bayne and Steven Milne.
Bairns manager Steven Pressley was satisfied with how his team played. "I am exceptionally proud of that performance," he said. "For a team so young to give a performance like that was great."
The first chance fell to 16-year-old Bairn Craig Sibbald on two minutes but his shot from the edge of the box was deflected away. Bairns should have been ahead on 13 minutes when full-back Kieran Duffie swung a cross over from the right and midfielder Jay Fulton, despite being unmarked and right in front of goal, seemed to freeze when he only had to stick a leg out to score.
Dundee had a go on 18 minutes but Nicky Riley's cross from the right just skimmed the top of Jake Hyde's head. Stephen O'Donnell then tried his luck with a header from around the penalty spot that struck team-mate Jamie McCluskey and flew past the post.
Hyde found space inside the box on 36 minutes but his shot was blocked by former Dundee United defender Darren Dods. Falkirk then took a deserved lead three minutes before the break. Duffie played a great pass forward that sent Sibbald clear. The youngster had beaten the offside trap and raced goalwards before cutting the ball back to El-Allagui, who tapped in from six yards.
After the interval,Kallum Higginbotham played in Mark Millar as Bairns pressed again, and it needed a great save from Rab Douglas to push his 25-yard strike over the bar. The Bairns were on top and they came close again on 62 minutes when defender Rhys Bennett cut back to Higginbotham 12 yards out and his shot stung Douglas' hands.
O'Donnell had an attempt saved by Michael McGovern on 73 minutes before Dundee made a double switch in a bid to stir things up, bringing on Leighton McIntosh and Connor Rennie for Neil McGregor and Ryan Conroy.
Matt Lockwood tried his best to get them level, whipping in a free-kick that had to be pushed over the bar by McGovern, then Douglas did well to hold Higginbotham's effort. There was still time for El-Allagui to squander a chance as he blasted the ball high over the bar.
Next up, is East Fife.
Raith Rovers 1-0 Falkirk
Both squads have been ravaged by cut-backs but the hope of the opening day of the league season was still apparent in a buzzing Stark's Park that allowed Falkirk manager Steven Pressley to circumvent his dug-out ban with a stance on the concrete just behind the technical areas. Joe Hamill won all three points for the home side through an error by Craig Sibbald which handed Raith their opener. In attempting to keep the ball alive, the winger naively coughed up possession and Hamill was on hand to volley in Brian Graham's knock-down.
Bairns misery was complete when skipper Darren Dods saw red with two minutes left after a second booking for an off-the-ball clash with John Baird
Raith: McGurn, Donaldson, Murray, Ellis, Dyer, Williamson, Walker, Davidson (Thomson 41), Hamill, Baird, Brian Graham (Reynolds 72). Subs Not Used: Laidlaw, Hill, Scott McBride.
Booked: Hamill.
Goals: Hamill 45.
Falkirk: McGovern, Duffie, Dods, Bennett, Scobbie, Jay Fulton (Graham 72), Dale Fulton, Murdoch, Sibbald (Wallace 84), El Alagui, Higginbotham. Subs Not Used: Bowman, Comrie, Brisbane.
Sent Off: Dods (89).
Booked: Dale Fulton, Darren Dods, Rhys Bennett, Craig Sibbald.
Att: 2,695
Ref: Charlie Richmond
