Brechin 0-3 Falkirk: Bairns warm up for Betfred Cup with routine win

Denny Johnstone opened the scoring via the aid of a deflection before Conor Sammon converted from the penalty spot.

Trialist number 19 put the seal on the win with a fine finish towards the end.

The Bairns created a number of chances, whilst the hosts also hit the bar through Ryan McCord.

Falkirk get their competitive campaign underway against Scottish Premiership side Livingston on Saturday and McKinnon will have been satisfied with Tuesday night’s work out but the standard will be altogether different at the weekend.

Falkirk looked lively and opened the scoring through Johnstone - who has signed a short-term deal at the club - on 13 minutes.

It was a good move involving Telfer and Johnstone, the ball was fired out wide to Dixon who delivered an inviting cross and Johnstone powered a header towards goal, taking a touch off the defender before going in.

Falkirk could have doubled their lead when Connolly unleashed a terrific effort, which brought the best out of trialist goalkeeper Lewis McMinn, who was at Stenhousemuir last season.

The Bairns continued to create and, had Telfer has his shooting boots on, he would have made it 2-0 but he skewed his shot wide.

If that miss was poor then worse was to come as a frantic 30 seconds saw Tidser hit the bar, Sammon then chunked his volley into the turf, giving McMinn who was helpless on the ground, the chance to raise a glove to make another save, then Johnstone sliced the rebound wide.

Falkirk were playing with purpose in the final third with Connolly, Tidser and Telfer linking up well.

Cammy Bell was a virtual spectator for most of the half but saw the ball come back off his bar when McCord peeled free at the back post from Chris McLaughlin’s corner, the former Arbroath midfielder’s header hitting the frame of the goal on 37 minutes.

The Bairns had to wait until the hour mark to grab the second goal and it was Sammon who netted after an infringement in the box.

That proved to be the catalyst for a flurry of substitutions as McKinnon made nine changes with only Buchanan and Doyle surviving the cull.

Hoping to impress was French trialist Calvin Tshilumba and the midfielder aimed to curl a ball into the to corner but McMinn denied him with a fine save.

The third goal arrived moments before the end. French trialist Mehdi Mina lofted the ball over the top and number 19 produced a composed finish to lift the ball over the on-rushing goalkeeper into the empty net.