Image source, SNSImage caption, Falkirk raced into a 4-0 half-time lead away to Hearts
ByStuart MitchellBBC Sport Scotland- Published44 minutes ago
In the space of a week Falkirk have beaten defending champions Celtic and become the first team to get the better of Hearts in a Scottish Premiership match at Tynecastle in 19 months, scoring a combined seven goals in the process.
The 5-2 success in Edinburgh was their fifth successive victory and takes John McGlynn's side up to third place.
A month ago, the concession of an added time goal to Dundee left them 11th, only a point off the bottom of the table.
"It's striking a balance without getting carried away and not playing it down too much," McGlynn told BBC Scotland.
"Winning five games in a row, you've obviously got something about you. We want it to continue because we're enjoying this.
"But we're only 13 games in. There's a long way to go, so we've got to keep our feet on the ground and enjoy seeing our team third in the league."
The 64-year-old earned plaudits aplenty last season for guiding Falkirk to sixth on their return to the top flight after overseeing consecutive promotions.
Liam Henderson, who scored the sublime fourth goal against Hearts, was with the Bairns in those League One days, as were Brad Spencer and Ethan Ross.
Unused substitutes Finn Yeats and Ross MacIver have been on the journey with McGlynn too, as has Leon McCann, who missed out through injury.
"We've got a good team spirit, a togetherness, and a will to work hard for your team-mates," said centre-half Henderson. "We now have a ruthlessness up front as well.
"The manager is massive to us. His knowledge, his detail. He is so detailed in everything he does.
"We're breaking records this season and creating some history. A lot of pundits and fans were saying that we weren't the team we were last year."
There is truth to that. While some of the old guard remain, there was a huge squad turnover in the summer.
Calvin Miller went to Hearts, Dylan Tait is now the skipper at Dundee United and Barney Stewart, who scored 10 goals between January and May, was sold to West Bromwich Albion for a club record fee.
Loan players Filip Lissah, Ben Broggio, Henry Cartwright, Kyrell Wilson, Ethan Williams and Louie Marsh said their goodbyes.
Image source, SNSImage caption, John McGlynn has taken maximum points from two games against his old team Hearts this season
McGlynn brought in a whopping 17 new faces, with Finley Barbrook, Owen Eames and Jacob Murrell, who all scored against Hearts, arriving weeks after the campaign had kicked off.
Murrell, 22, picked up the SPFL player of the month award for October and his Tynecastle double takes his tally to seven, making him joint-top scorer in the division.
"They look at what kind of player fits into the team and when the player arrives, they know what they're getting," said former Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart in praise of Falkirk's scouting.
Meanwhile, former Hibs midfielder Scott Allan highlighted captain Spencer as the "heartbeat" of the team.
"You need a guy like him in there to really set the standards," Allan said of the 30-year-old midfielder, who followed McGlynn from Raith Rovers.
"When he is in the team, there is a real control from Falkirk, especially in the middle.
"They've added a steeliness to the team too, it's not always total football this year. They are able to do the dirty side of the game now and roll up the sleeves when they have to."
McGlynn is very much the unassuming star of the show though.
"He is a manager who is totally comfortable in his own skin now," said Stewart.
"He exudes confidence. Perhaps before he was considered a bit of an unfashionable manager. I mean in terms of stature, and not in what he's doing on the park.
"The perception of him continues to get better and better.
"I don't want to be disrespectful to Falkirk, but I would not be surprised, if, when one or two of the bigger jobs start coming up, rather than being an outsider, I think he will be right in the hunt for some of those."
As things stand, almost any move away from Falkirk would be a step down the league.
