Falkirk mix a survival formula

RAY HEPBURN

3 Apr 1995

Hearts 0, Falkirk 1

THE nervous, worried teams in the bottom three places in the premier division table this morning should have commissioned a video of Falkirk's winning performance at Tynecastle on Saturday.

For the footage would have contained a comprehensive formula of how to completely rid yourself of relegation pressures in one, 90 minute session.

First you require no nonsense, physically strong defenders like John Clark, Joe McLaughlin, and John Hughes on which to base the complete creation.

You add in midfield players like Brian Rice, David Weir, and Scott McKenzie who are all happy to indulge in the intricacies and the creative side, but make sheer hard graft the priority.

And lastly you lace the concoction with the height of Steve Kirk, pace and mobility of Paul McGrillen, and class of Maurice Johnston, before making determination the binding ingredient.

Falkirk manager Jim Jefferies, with all his experience of life at the realistic end of the game, certainly paraded a template that others would have been wise to follow.

Just one month ago, with seven clubs in jeopardy, Jeffries worked tirelessly to put together an ambitious transfer package that has resulted in a top half of the table position.

Although he had to sacrifice Eddie May's departure to Motherwell, he negotiated in return Kirk, McGrillen, and enough cash to fund Johnston's move from Hearts.

And at Tynecastle, in Falkirk's victory over the Edinburgh club, they were a frontline that were so clearly of premier division quality, given that they were competing with international defenders.

Now, after having battled for points for eight anxious months, the Falkirk manager can enjoy the luxury of looking up the way in the league table, to spy the next challenge.

"Our target today was to jump over Hearts in the league and now we can set our sights on Celtic, who are immediately above us.

"They have a three-point advantage but they still have to come to our place," said Jeffries.

"Only last week our captain, John Hughes, was insistent that the team would not be beaten again during the remainder of the campaign, and I'm not going to argue with him.

"Although no-one here will be allowed to become complacent in the next few weeks, it is satisfying to have opened up a comforting gap."

Significantly, his three recent signings were all involved in the match winner after 41 minutes.

Johnston just missed contact with Kirk's low cross from the right, but McGrillen was at the far post to knock the ball in.

Completing a dismal day for Hearts was a knee injury to goalkeeper Craig Nelson, which saw him replaced by Henry Smith after half-an-hour.

Although the injury was too swollen to allow accurate assessment, the former Partick Thistle player faces a struggle to be ready for the Scottish Cup semi-final against Airdrie on Saturday.

Taken from the Herald