Bairns focus is on month of league matches

Goals from Nathan Austin and James Craigen put the Bairns 90 minutes from the quarter-finals of the competition which they have won five times.

The big derby match is pencilled in for October 5 – the next big international weekend – but may be switched depending on TV coverage.

Falkirk assistant manager James McDonaugh said: “It’s exciting but it’s on the back burner because it’s a few weeks away yet.

“We’ve got a lot more important games to come before then, but it is a derby, an exciting tie and one to look forward to.”

The assistant also doesn’t expect there to be any element of ‘revenge’ after the Bairns were turned over in the last meeting of the sides at East End Park last month.

“It’s a totally different game from the league one,” McDonaugh added.

“I don’t even know what that word means in a football context because there’s always a revenge game. It’s just a derby game so it doesn’t matter the competition everyone wants to win them, look forward to them and just doesn’t want to lose them.

“It’s good to avoid a trip to a different country, and lucky in that sense but it’s also a really tough tie against Dunfermline who are scoring goals for fun.”

The Bairns returned to winning ways on Saturday and hope to extend that in Brechin this week.

Joe McKee is back after injury while Lee Miller and Craig Sibbald have now served their suspensions picked up against Dunfermline.