Edinbrugh City v Falkrik: Two wins from remaining games should see Falkirk through says Hetherington

The Bairns face Edinburgh City tomorrow (Wednesday, July 21) at Ainslie Park and Ayr United on Saturday at Somerset Park.

After a 5-1 win over Albion Rovers and a 2-1 defeat to Hamilton Accies it means that six more points would take Falkirk to nine in total with what should be a healthy enough goal difference to ensure they at least qualify as a best placed runner up if not group winners.

"It's still kind of a pre-season build up but they are still competitive games we want to win,” said Hetherington.

"We want to progress and get out of the group and I think it stands you in good stead for when the league kicks off.

"We need to win both games, I think you'd be very unlucky to get nine points and not make it out of the group.

"I don't think that's ever happened but it is a possibility, we can't look further forward than the next game though.

"We got beat last Saturday which was disappointing but now need to work towards getting the three points against Edinburgh and that would set up a straight shoot-out with Ayr on Saturday."

Hetherington, 28, made his Falkirk debut in the 2-1 defeat to Hamilton last weekend after missing the first game against Albion due to a suspension carried over from the previous season’s competition.

"It was good to make my debut off the back of pre-season, I was glad to get on the pitch even though it wasn't the result we all wanted, as a team we were probably below par in what we expected of each other.

"I found out quite late into pre-season (suspended for Albion Rovers match), I think the club did as well.

"We played Hearts in the friendly at the weekend and it was after that I was told my suspension carried over.

"It was around about the time everything happened with Killie so it was a good thing the club was aware well in advance."

Prior to his move to the Falkirk Stadium this summer Hetherington spent six years with League 1 rivals Alloa Athletic.

During that time he helped the Wasps battle against relegation from the Championship and when they did go down was part of the team that took them straight back up.

It’s an experience he hopes he can take in to this season at Falkirk and says the pressures of fighting for promotion and against relegation have similarities but are also very different.

"It's the same kind of pressure, delivering what you set out to do at the start of the season whether it's survival or pushing for promotion.

"I've been on both sides of it, I went down with Alloa and then straight back up so I've had the expectancy of both.

"I like it, pushing to try to get high up the table and win games which is certainly different to the pressure of trying to survive."