30th November 2019 Falkirk v Stranraer 3-0

It looks like I am fated never to get to see Linlithgow Rose at home. After failing to get a ticket for their cup-tie last week I decided to go and watch them today against Whitehill Welfare. In common with the majority of the games in the Lowland and East of Scotland Leagues the match has been called of due to a frozen pitch. With Hearts not playing till tomorrow, although I am not going as I cannot stand the Ibrox atmosphere, I had a free afternoon. The best of the local fixtures, and hopefully good for a few goals, seemed to be at Falkirk. Caught the 13.24 train at Haymarket which was slightly late and arrived in Falkirk at 14.55. I walked from Grahamston Station to the Falkirk Stadium but it had been some time since I had been there. I managed to take the wrong route and ended up at a roundabout heading onto a dual carriageway heading out of Falkirk. However luckily I could see the ground from the roundabout and was able to walk up a side road and cross over to the ground. I bought a programme for £3.50 which, although was normal size, unusually the cover photo was on the longer vertical axis  rather than horizontal. I bought a ticket for £19 for a seat in the main stand and entered the ground around 14.40 where the sides were limbering up.

Falkirk were relegated from the Championship last season and despite currently standing fourth in League One recently sacked manager Ray McKinnon. He had been replaced by an interim management team of Lee Miller and David McCracken who gave up playing duties with Livingston and a coaching role with Peterhead respectively to take the job. I wonder how much job security they have as interim managers. The interim duo have inherited an experienced squad including two former Hearts players. Striker Conor Sammon spent most of his three year spell at Tynecastle out on loan while Morgaro Gomis was a stalwart in Hearts Championship win in 2015 although released at the end of the following season. Lewis Moore who is on loan to Falkirk from Hearts was not included in the squad for today's match. Stranraer are currently bottom of the League One table under manager Stevie Farrell. He played for both St. Mirren and Stenhousemuir before moving into coaching and took up his currently role in January 2017. His squad also includes two former Hearts players in captain Jamie Hamill and fullback/winger David Smith. While Hamill was a starter Smith was not in the match day squad.

Falkirk started well and had the bulk of the pressure with Stranraer looking as if they were content to play on the break. Falkirk took the lead in eighteen minutes after a free-kick into the Stranraer penalty area was only cleared as far as Louis Longridge wide on the right. He sent a good cross towards the middle of the goal  where Declan Gallagher rose to head home from about eight yards for a deserved Falkirk lead. Falkirk continued to press but where unable to make any clear chances. Their best attempt came from Gomis on the edge of the penalty box. After his record of one goal in two seasons with Hearts I did not expect much and was not disappointed as his shot went past the left hand post. Stranraer continued to play on the break with Andy Stirling, formerly with Queen of the South and Alloa among others, looking promising. Robbie Mutch in the Falkirk goal was forced to punch away one dangerous cross but was otherwise untroubled. Falkirk went two up in the forty-third minute. Paul Dixon gathered the ball on the left about six yards from the byeline and sent an excellent cross into the goal area. His fellow full-back Michael Doyle was unmarked on the six yard line and shot high into the net giving Max Currie in the Stranraer goal no chance of a save. 

In the second half Falkirk were coasting although they still had most of the ball. Conor Sammon surprised everyone, probably including himself, with a run down the left and then cut into the penalty area. He tried to cut the ball back but the Stranraer defence were able to clear before a Falkirk player could take advantage. Stranraer brought on former Falkirk player Mark Stewart and Leon Murphy after an hour in an attempt to increase their attacking options but to no avail. Stewart had to temporarily leave the field shortly after coming on for treatment for a blood injury after a collision in midfield. Falkirk forced a corner after seventy-three minutes after another run down the right by my man of the match Doyle. The corner taken by Charlie Telfer found centre half Mark Durnan in the six yard area who headed home. Shortly after there was a strange incident when McManus chased a long ball to the byeline and cut the ball back across goal. The ball was cleared by a defender but Gallacher's momentum carried him of the pitch where he collided with an advertising hoarding. He fell and seemed to have taken a bang to the head and the physio ran round to treat him as the corner was taken. McManus got up after the corner was cleared and appeared to be waved back on the referee as he re-entered the field from behind the goal. The referee however had not given a signal and at the next stoppage in play gave McManus a yellow card to the disgust of the Falkirk supporters.Stranraer forced a number of corners in the second half but were unable to trouble Mutch who had only two shots on target to collect in the ninety minutes. 

After the match I headed back to the station, this time following Google Maps which gave me the quickest route back. I got to Grahamston at 17.15 in plenty time for the 17.25 train back to Haymarket. After the short journey I walked up the road and was in the house just after 18.00.

Teams
Falkirk: Mutch, Doyle, Dixon, Buchanan, Durnan, Gomis, McManus, Longridge, Toshney, Miller, Sammon.
Subs: Telfer, Johnstone, McShane
Stranraer: Currie, Robertson, Cummins, Hamilton, Pignatiello, McManus, Hamill, Stirling, Allan, Hilton, Elliott.
Subs: Stewart, Murphy.