Falkirk FC: Manager John McGlynn has to cope with suspension of key defender

The former Ross County player, 27, will miss this Saturday’s Scottish Cup fourth round encounter at Alloa Athletic, whom the Bairns beat 3-1 at home in League One in the sides’ only fixture against each other this season.

"We certainly would have preferred to have Coll than not,” McGlynn told the Falkirk Herald.

"I kind of go down the route of one door closes, another door opens.

"It’s an opportunity for somebody else to come in and stake a claim. Coll has just come back from a suspension and he finds himself suspended again.

"So that’s unfortunate.

"But you need competition for jerseys. And it will be up to Coll to get his jersey back and say: ‘I’m not going to let it go so easily’ and that’s what you want.”

McGlynn – assistant manager when Hearts won the Scottish Cup in 2006 – loves competing in the national trophy.

“It’s always special,” he added. “We are on a good run.

"We go into the game on the back of three straight wins.

"You always look to get a run in the cup.

"It’s not so long ago that Falkirk got to the cup final (they lost 2-1 to Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 2015 final). So you’ve always got to have belief and confidence.

"Another aspect is there’s an opportunity for finance which the football club could do with.

"We are trying to get back a £400,000 operating loss. I don’t know, but based on that fact, I think a huge chunk of that money would be going towards that.

"If we can get through this one then – similarly for Alloa – you get a plum draw then you can make an awful lot of money for your football club.

"There’s a matter of keeping our run going. Can we make it four wins, keep the momentum going and the building of confidence and a feelgood factor?

"We have always been an attacking team. We always score goals.

"We are only one goal away from being the top goalscorers in the league. We have had the most shots at goal and on target.

"Throughout the season we have been scoring goals and we have not conceded so many recently and that’s a big plus.”

McGlynn said he is still in the market for signing a striker on loan this month. Dominic Johnson-Fisher, who has played for non league English outfit Steyning Town this season, is currently on trial with the Bairns.

"He has actually looked fine,” McGlynn said. “It’s a matter of maybe he’s one for the future whereas we’re looking for someone to give us a push in the short term.

"So this is what you are weighing up.

"We have been looking everywhere and people are putting many players to us. That was one where we thought he could come up because he is not really attached to a club.

"We still have to fill the position. If by any chance we can’t, he becomes an option.”