Falkirk

A stoppage-time Dundee United equaliser prevented Falkirk from claiming their first Scottish Premiership win of the season in a hard-fought contest at Tannadice.

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn tells BBC Scotland: "Very frustrated, if we could just have held out, another two points would've been massive. I thought we started the game really well on the front foot and took the game to Dundee United and created some good opportunities.

"Great goal from big Jacob [Murrell], after the other night there, he missed a couple of chances, so I'm delighted for him that he's got that goal and he's off and running.

"Dundee United got themselves back in the game and took a little bit of control in the second half of the first half. The second half started and probably went on the same way as the first half with Dundee United very much on top and we didn't create an awful that.

"I think tiredness set in and then it was just a matter of could we see it out, we defended our box really well and when we didn't, Scott Bain made saves.

"An extra two points would've made a big difference, but in reality, Dundee United created numerous chances in the second half, and I couldn't deny the fact that they were at least worthy of a point.

"I think Scott [Bain] ticks every box for [the national team], if you're looking for someone to play a new style and play out from the back and still makes saves, and bring composure and calmness to your defence then Scott ticks all those boxes so I have no doubt the Scotland manager will be looking at Scott Bain.

"Scott's excellent that's why we wanted to bring him in here when we did. We knew he'd bring a calmness, we knew he would be assured and would make saves, and he's great with the ball at his feet. It was just one save too many, the ball dropped a little bit shorter than other crosses that were coming in, they were going deeper, and we were managing to deal with them. It's a good header, can't complain over the piece, Dundee United were worthy of that, it's just a little bit frustrating that we couldn't hold out for all three points."

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Dundee United will include new signing Zidane Iqbal but Emmanuel Agyei is suspended after the club failed with an appeal against his midweek red card at Fir Park.

Falkirk are set to be without Conor McLeod (knee), Keelan Adams, Ethan Laidlaw (both foot), Aidan Nesbitt, Finn Yeats (both ankle) and Craig Sibbald (hamstring), but Joe Gardner is pushing for a return.

Owen Eames could make his Bairns debut after agreeing a loan move from Derby County on deadline day.

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn says he doesn't want his side to be known as a team that "plays nice football but doesn't win games".

Following their League Cup group stage elimination at the start of the season, the Bairns have suffered three defeats and a draw in their first four Premiership fixtures, including 2-1 losses to both Celtic and Rangers.

And while McGlynn has been pleased with the effort shown by his side, he wants results to follow as they prepare to visit Dundee United on Saturday.

"The players are now working so hard together," he told Falkirk TV.

"They're playing as a team, some really, really good quality in it as well. We don't want to be known as this team that plays some nice, attractive football but we don't win games.

"We've played potentially the best two teams in Scotland, the two that spend the most money and the two that are normally there or thereabouts.

"Unfortunately we came away with nothing but we put in a real, real shift and real, real good performances. There's loads of encouragement but we've got to make sure now that we go and pick up points in these other games, starting on Saturday."

The deadline day arrival of Owen Eames on loan from Derby concluded Falkirk's transfer business and takes their total summer signing count to 17 new arrivals.

With that, McGlynn admits there will be teething problems but already has seen a lot of progress from the group.

"That's a lot of players so it takes a bit of time but I can see on the training ground, the boys are now gelling so well," he added.

"There's a better understanding of what we're trying to achieve.

"I think everyone can see that now. We're not far away, we're not far away at all."

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• Both of Falkirk's Scottish Premiership goals this season have been own goals. The Bairns have seen their players attempt 38 shots without scoring in the competition this season.

• No side has attempted fewer shots in the Scottish Premiership this season than Falkirk (38, level with Aberdeen), who have lost three of their four league matches in 2026-27 (D1).

• Dundee United have just four points from five Scottish Premiership games this season (W1 D1 L3). The Tangerines have finished bottom of the league in both of the least two top-flight campaigns in which they have had four or fewer points at this season: four in 2015-16, and one in 2022-23.

• Falkirk's 3-0 win over Dundee United in November 2025 ended a five-game winless run away to them in the Scottish top-flight (D1 L4) in which they had scored just one goal.

• Dundee United have only lost one of their last 10 top-flight meetings with Falkirk (W6 D3), although that was their last at home, going down 0-3 in November 2025.

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Falkirk have signed midfielder Owen Eames on a season-long loan from English Championship side Derby County.

The 19-year-old is John McGlynn's 17th and final summer signing and could make his debut when the Bairns travel to Tannadice to play Dundee United on Saturday.

Eames signed his first professional contract with the Rams in 2025 and since making his debut this year has gone on to feature five times in the English Championship.

"We like the fact he's very tenacious and he works extremely hard," manager McGlynn said.

"He can play across the midfield in all positions, he can play wide, or he can play through the middle, and he's an infectious type of boy that presses the ball so well.

"If you go onto YouTube I'm sure you'll find him scoring some really good goals, because he's got that in him. He's quick, he's an exciting prospect, and we're very grateful to have him here.

"With him being on the fringes of the first team it's obvious that Derby think an awful lot about him and we're very grateful to them for allowing him to come up to Falkirk."

Falkirk fans, we asked for your views after Wednesday's defeat to Rangers.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Iain: An entertaining game for the wrong reasons. We were terrible first half and Rangers terrible the second. The weather played a part but a poor effort from both sides. Finley Barbrook lucky not to see red while Emmanuel Fernandez should have had two assists for Falkirk.

Pabs: Positive signs, some good build up play towards the end of the first 45. Second half the Bairns showed grit and willingness to get something from the game. Brad Spencer, Ethan Ross and Leon McCann were excellent. Head up Jacob [Murrell] more chances will come.

Watch all the highlights as Rangers managed a narrow victory against John McGlynn's Falkirk side in the Scottish Premiership. Available to UK users only.

Rangers made it back-to-back wins in the Scottish Premiership as Lawrence Shankland's superb double downed wasteful Falkirk.

Read the match report.

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn tells BBC Scotland: "On another day we score and come away with points. Gutted for the players because they put so much into it and I think we deserved something. We don't want to be a team that play an entertaining game but don't pick up any points. We need to start picking up wins.

"We take a load of encouragement and we're ready to kick on. If Lawrence Shankland is in a navy blue jersey, we win the game tonight.

"We've got a player coming in tomorrow and that will be 17 new signings, so it's a transitional period. We've got enough quality that we'll be fine I think."

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On-loan Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Conor McLeod has joined Falkirk's injury list after aggravating a knee injury on his debut.

Keelan Adams, Ethan Laidlaw, Aidan Nesbitt, Finn Yeats, Craig Sibbald, Finn Yeats, Joe Gardner and Tom Lang will also all miss out at home to Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday.

Rangers midfielder Nico Raskin has missed the last two games amid transfer speculation.

Striker Youssef Chermiti is out long term with a cruciate ligament injury and left-back Tuur Rommens is sidelined for a number of weeks with a groin problem.

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• The previous Premiership fixture between the clubs saw Rangers come out on top 5-2 at Falkirk last season. Youssef Chermiti netted a hat-trick, while Djeidi Gassama and Thelo Aasgaard also found the net. Calvin Miller scored with a penalty in the 44th minute for the Bairns. They also benefited from an own goal by Rangers' Jack Butland.

• Rangers are unbeaten in the past four Premiership matches between the two clubs. A win for Falkirk would be their first against Rangers in the league since March 2016. During that period, Rangers have outscored the Bairns with 12 goals for and six against.

• Hosts Falkirk lost their only previous Premiership contest at The Falkirk Stadium this season. The Bairns have a three-match Premiership home losing streak dating to May 9 against Hibernian. Rangers have one win and one draw away from Ibrox this season in two league contests. Rangers are on a three-match away unbeaten streak.

• In three league matches this season, Falkirk have one draw and two losses. Rangers, meanwhile, have one win, one draw, and one loss.

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Falkirk midfielder Finley Barbrook is revelling the big occasions on offer in the Scottish Premiership.

Barbrook signed for the Bairns on loan from Premier League Ipswich Town last month.

He made his debut in a draw with Motherwell before starting in the 2-1 defeat at Celtic last weekend. Falkirk now host Rangers on Wednesday.

"Obviously, the atmosphere comes with its effects," he said. "It does take it out of your legs a little bit, especially to start off with.

"But in the second half [at Celtic], when the crowd died down, I felt like we got a bit of a hold in the game. They were sat in with us on the ball, having some spells of possession, which was good.

"Every player wants to play in those games. And for being so young, that's a great experience for me and one that I'll take moving forward, for sure. They're big games, aren't they? Celtic, Rangers.

"It's such a great league and one that I've watched for quite a long time and admired. So getting to play at Celtic Park was amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed it."

Grant Heaney
Fan writer

Following our exploits over the past three years, particularly last season, it was always going to be difficult to retain all of our best players this summer.

That's the reality for clubs like Falkirk. When you have got good players, you have to enjoy them while they are here and accept that other clubs will eventually come calling.

Barney Stewart and Calvin Miller certainly fell into that category and both departed this summer with everyone's best wishes.

Brad Spencer is another who continues to be linked with a move away, but losing him at this stage of the transfer window would be a real hammer blow.

He might not have grabbed the headlines like Stewart or Miller, but you could argue he's been even more important to us. For three years, he has anchored our midfield and been at the heart of a side that's taken us from League 1 to the Premiership.

That's why selling him now would send out completely the wrong message.

Losing Spencer would be a major blow at any stage, but doing so this late in the window would leave us precious little time to replace him.

He still has a couple of years remaining on his contract and, unless an offer arrives that's simply impossible to refuse, I would want us to dig our heels in.

John McGlynn has hinted one more player could arrive before the window closes, but I'd rather we used whatever is left in the budget to top up Spencer's wages than bring in someone to replace him. That's how important he is to us.

It's going to be a nervous few days for us Bairns.

And with Falkirk heading to Tannadice on Saturday, you can't help wondering which team Spencer will be playing for.

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John McGlynn says Falkirk have been dealt a "bitter blow" as Conor McLeod is set for a spell on the sidelines following a promising debut at Celtic Park on Saturday.

The on-loan Wolves winger set up the Bairns' goal in a 2-1 defeat at Parkhead, but a knee issue looks likely to keep him out of action for Wednesday's encounter with Rangers, and potentially longer.

"He's got a little issue with his knee, which we don't know too much about right now," manager McGlynn revealed.

"It looked like it was something that's come from the beginning of the week and I think he was kind of nursing that along.

"But it's now at a point where we'll probably have to investigate it, which is a bitter blow because he's only just arrived here and made an impact on Saturday's game - a big impact on the game actually."

McLeod is one of Falkirk's 16 summer signings and McGlynn says another is on the way.

"We think we've still got one coming in and that'll be us finished," said the Falkirk boss, who reported no fresh updates on Dundee United's pursuit of captain Brad Spencer.

Former Scotland captain Scott Brown assesses Falkirk's prospects in the Scottish Premiership this season.

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Falkirk defender Lewis Neilson insists Premiership points will come if they maintain the sense of togetherness that has been a feature of their rise through Scottish football under manager John McGlynn.

The Bairns fell just short in a 2-1 defeat away to Celtic having fought back after falling two goals behind, with goalkeeper Scott Bain's blunder handing Celtic an early head start.

Despite just one point from their opening three fixtures, the former Hearts centre half believes results will follow despite a tough run of fixtures.

"The early goal's a killer, especially at Celtic Park," Neilson told BBC Scotland.

"If you go 1-0 down in that sort of manner, early doors, it's always going to be an uphill battle, but we came in at half-time, had a good chat and I think the boys had a really good performance in the second half, played some good football, got after them and I think made them a bit nervy."

"We've not got a massive budget, we need to have that togetherness," he continued.

"We need to fight, that's the basics. It's the first and foremost at Falkirk and the gaffer instills that in all the players. He doesn't just sign good players, he signs good characters that are going to come and buy into that and I think we've seen that with the new signings.

"It's a really close-knit group and the boys have come in and blended in brilliantly and I think we'll see that throughout the course of the season."

Falkirk host Rangers midweek before a trip to Tannadice to face Dundee United next weekend. Despite that, Neilson remains confident that they are capable of picking up valuable results.

"I think if we do the basics right and stick to what we're good at, I think the points will definitely come.

"It's a tough start to the season, a tough few games in a short period of time coming up, but if we stick to doing the right things, play how we play in that second half, I think we'll not have any worries whatsoever."

Watch the best of the action as Celtic rebound from Champions League play-off failure by maintaining their 100% Premiership start with a 2-1 win over Falkirk. (Available to UK users only)

Falkirk fans, we asked for your views after Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Celtic at Celtic Park.

Here's what some of you said:

Nathan: Scott Bain's horror show after five minutes really killed the chances of us being able to keep Celtic at bay but I'm proud of the performance. In the end we started off poorly but grew into the game in the second half. Could've possibly had a penalty along with our goal with good fortune. On another day you never know we could've nicked a point.