8th February 2020 Falkirk v Hearts 0-1
After the match at Ainslie Park Jim and I headed onwards to Falkirk. The rain was now falling heavily as we headed out of Edinburgh towards Falkirk. From the radio commentary on the Scotland v England rugby international is was apparent that the wind and rain was having an effect on the game which sounded a less than enthralling spectacle. We are arrived at Falkirk around 18.00 and parked in an industrial site a short walk away from Falkirk's Westfireld Stadium. As I had previously gone to Falkirk by train I had approached the ground from the other side and was unsure of the location but Jim told me that the ground was up the hill from the industrial estate and that we would approach the ground at the stand for away fans behind the goal which suited me as that was where I was sitting with Jim a short distance further on in the Falkirk fans stand running parallel to the pitch. We waited in the car listening to the rugby until England went ahead with a try and then headed towards the ground. The rain was still very heavy and the walk to the ground, which took around fifteen minutes, was not a pleasant experience. Water was pouring in torrents down the roadway making it hazardous to cross the road to reach the ground on the opposite side. We arrived at the ground about thirty-five minutes before the kickoff and I went in to the away stand. There was a programme seller in the concourse, which was thankfully dry and I bought a £3 programme. I then headed to the snack bar for a pie and a coffee to warm me up after the walk. I then went into the stand to find my seat which was halfway up the rows of seats and behind the goals. When I say seat this was a misnomer as everyone spent the whole match standing and I had to stand to be able to see the action.
Following Hearts defeat by Kilmarnock in mid-week Daniel Stendel made four changes to his starting line-up. Aidy White and the injured John Souttar dropped out of the match day squad with Eaun Henderson and Lewis Moore moving to the substitutes bench. Into the side came Clevid Dikamona, Michael Smith, Ben Garuccio and Conor Washington. The team lined up in a 3-5-2 formation which Smith acting as a sweeper behind Dikamona and Craig Halkett, Sean Clare and Garuccio as wing-backs and Steven Naismith acting as the link between midfield and the front two of Liam Boyce and Washington. Falkirk are currently second in League One three points behind leaders Raith Rovers. They are however unbeaten under their new management duo of ex-Hearts player Lee Miler and David McCracken. Falkirk included two former Hearts players in their starting eleven with Morgaro Gomis in midfield and Conor Sammon up front.
The game kicked of with torrential rain still pouring from the sky. Watching the highlights later on Sportscene was like watching a match in a swimming pool given that the cameras were situated in the open area opposite the main stand and exposed to the elements. Hearts started well and had a lot of possession but were not creating chances. Clare was looking in good form on the right and was taken down by opponents four times early in the game. There was only one booking for a Falkirk player in this succession of fouls although Clare himself was booked later for his first foul of the game. Other than an optimistic shout for a penalty when Naismith went down in the penalty area after a short corner move Falkirk were coping well with Hearts. Falkirk had the first clear chance in thirty-eight minutes when Dikamona failed to clear a long punt up field. The ball went through to Falkirk's Josh Todd about twenty-five yards to goal on the right hand side. Todd ran forward into the box but from around twelve yards fired his shot over the crossbar. Hearts had their first attempt on goal in forty minutes when Boyce checked outside the penalty area and fired a low shot shot at goal. Robbie Mutch in the Falkirk goal saved comfortably diving to his left.
The halftime interval was enlivened by two Hearts fans in the rows behind me arguing loudly about the teams first half performance. One was saying that the conditions were awful and that it was impossible to play good football especially when Hearts were playing into the wind while the other argued that as a Premier League side Hearts should be capable of beating a League One side despite the conditions. I felt sympathy with both points of view but on balance thought Hearts needed to up their game to create the chances to win and move through to the next round. Things improved for Hearts in fifty-one minutes when they took the lead. Liam Boyce chased a long clearance from Joel Pereira into the penalty box on the Hearts left. Falkirk's Michael Doyle was on his shoulder and made a rash and needless challenge which brought Boyce to the ground. Referee John Beaton had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot. Clare stepped up to take the kick and after a little shuffle in his run-up struck the ball well and low into the net on left hand side of the diving Mutch. There then followed a mad spell when Falkirk could have equalised and indeed gone ahead. Almost straight from the kick-off Falkirk won a corner. The cross-ball was headed was headed down by Mark Durnan to Declan McManus standing three yards from goal with his back was to the goal. McManus turned quickly and shot on the turn but his snap shot rebounded of the inside of Pereira's right hand post was was cleared by the Hearts defence. A minute later McManus broke down Falkirk's right and into the penalty area. He shot across the advancing Pereira from just inside the area but again his shot rebounded of the post and was cleared. Just after the hour mark Falkirk hit the woodwork for third time. The ball came to Gary Miller just outside the penalty area. His fierce shot beat Pereira and rebounded of the crossbar towards the unmarked Sammon. In line with his performance when at Hearts the strikers header from around ten yards flew over the top of the gaping goal with Pereira stranded on the ground after his attempt to save the initial shot. Hearts took of skipper Naismith, who it was later said had a knee problem, and brought on Jamie Walker in an attempt to get back into the game. The move certainly worked and Walker came close to a second goal with a shot just past the post before fellow substitute Euan Henderson managed to fire the ball over the bar from about seven yards when faced with a gaping goal.
After the final whistle the rain had died down slightly and I had arranged to meet Jim back at the car. The walk was interesting as the far side of the road was flooded and water was pouring down the hill. After walking down the hill in the middle of the road for a bit in a crowd of fans I managed to get across and back to the car. Jim was already there and he told me he had met Alex at the ground but Alex had decided to use his rail ticket and return to Edinburgh by train. We set off and the rain got heavier en route with the outside lane on the motorway being partially flooded in places. Jim dropped me off at the West Approach Road and I got home about 22.15 in time to take Rufus for his last walk of the day.
TeamsThe game kicked of with torrential rain still pouring from the sky. Watching the highlights later on Sportscene was like watching a match in a swimming pool given that the cameras were situated in the open area opposite the main stand and exposed to the elements. Hearts started well and had a lot of possession but were not creating chances. Clare was looking in good form on the right and was taken down by opponents four times early in the game. There was only one booking for a Falkirk player in this succession of fouls although Clare himself was booked later for his first foul of the game. Other than an optimistic shout for a penalty when Naismith went down in the penalty area after a short corner move Falkirk were coping well with Hearts. Falkirk had the first clear chance in thirty-eight minutes when Dikamona failed to clear a long punt up field. The ball went through to Falkirk's Josh Todd about twenty-five yards to goal on the right hand side. Todd ran forward into the box but from around twelve yards fired his shot over the crossbar. Hearts had their first attempt on goal in forty minutes when Boyce checked outside the penalty area and fired a low shot shot at goal. Robbie Mutch in the Falkirk goal saved comfortably diving to his left.
The halftime interval was enlivened by two Hearts fans in the rows behind me arguing loudly about the teams first half performance. One was saying that the conditions were awful and that it was impossible to play good football especially when Hearts were playing into the wind while the other argued that as a Premier League side Hearts should be capable of beating a League One side despite the conditions. I felt sympathy with both points of view but on balance thought Hearts needed to up their game to create the chances to win and move through to the next round. Things improved for Hearts in fifty-one minutes when they took the lead. Liam Boyce chased a long clearance from Joel Pereira into the penalty box on the Hearts left. Falkirk's Michael Doyle was on his shoulder and made a rash and needless challenge which brought Boyce to the ground. Referee John Beaton had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot. Clare stepped up to take the kick and after a little shuffle in his run-up struck the ball well and low into the net on left hand side of the diving Mutch. There then followed a mad spell when Falkirk could have equalised and indeed gone ahead. Almost straight from the kick-off Falkirk won a corner. The cross-ball was headed was headed down by Mark Durnan to Declan McManus standing three yards from goal with his back was to the goal. McManus turned quickly and shot on the turn but his snap shot rebounded of the inside of Pereira's right hand post was was cleared by the Hearts defence. A minute later McManus broke down Falkirk's right and into the penalty area. He shot across the advancing Pereira from just inside the area but again his shot rebounded of the post and was cleared. Just after the hour mark Falkirk hit the woodwork for third time. The ball came to Gary Miller just outside the penalty area. His fierce shot beat Pereira and rebounded of the crossbar towards the unmarked Sammon. In line with his performance when at Hearts the strikers header from around ten yards flew over the top of the gaping goal with Pereira stranded on the ground after his attempt to save the initial shot. Hearts took of skipper Naismith, who it was later said had a knee problem, and brought on Jamie Walker in an attempt to get back into the game. The move certainly worked and Walker came close to a second goal with a shot just past the post before fellow substitute Euan Henderson managed to fire the ball over the bar from about seven yards when faced with a gaping goal.
After the final whistle the rain had died down slightly and I had arranged to meet Jim back at the car. The walk was interesting as the far side of the road was flooded and water was pouring down the hill. After walking down the hill in the middle of the road for a bit in a crowd of fans I managed to get across and back to the car. Jim was already there and he told me he had met Alex at the ground but Alex had decided to use his rail ticket and return to Edinburgh by train. We set off and the rain got heavier en route with the outside lane on the motorway being partially flooded in places. Jim dropped me off at the West Approach Road and I got home about 22.15 in time to take Rufus for his last walk of the day.
Falkirk: Mutch, Doyle, Dixon, Buchanan, Durnan, Gomis, Connolly, McManus, G. Miller, Sammon, Todd.
Subs: Longridge, Teller, McMillan
Hearts: Pereira, Smith, Clare, Washington, Naismith, Garuccio, Halkett, Dikamona, Boyce, Langer, Irving.
Subs: Walker, Henderson, McDonald
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