Deniss Meļņiks on Falkirk fans, Latvia hopes and midfield trio after Hearts win
Deniss Meļņiks on Falkirk fans, Latvia hopes and midfield trio after Hearts win.
“My big Latvian brother was top,” Brad Spencer said while standing alongside Deniss Meļņiks after Falkirk’s 3-0 victory over Kilmarnock last month.
The Falkirk skipper was speaking to Falkirk TV after the former FK Auda ace played a key role in that Scottish Premiership win. In tough conditions, the defensive midfielder showed just what he could bring to the Bairns’ team - and how he could allow Spencer to take his game to another level.
Since that victory, the Latvian international has started all three of Falkirk’s fixtures, and it is easy to see why. John McGlynn’s side have now won five on the spin after Sunday’s stunning 5-2 success away to Hearts, with Meļņiks being at the heart of Falkirk’s ascent to third spot.
Falkirk ace Deniss Meļņiks on Hearts victory
Speaking to the Falkirk Herald, he said: “After beating Celtic, we felt like we could beat anyone. We had no fear for an opponent, including Hearts, who are also a strong team in Scotland. It was another great, team effort. To win five games in a row is incredible. We want to keep that rolling now after the international break.
“But we know that we have had difficult moments previous to our good times. We recognise this. Being second-last in the table previously was difficult but we knew that we were doing so many things right. We had some unlucky moments. Of course, conceding late goals is bad but the trajectory of the team was clear. We were playing good enough to reach the top six, and being in the top three is so good.”
Meļņiks showed another side to his game on Sunday, putting in a delicate lofted cross to the back post for Jacob Murrell to score. A defensive-minded player, the 24-year-old may be mainly thought of for his tackling and heading but the fans’ favourite is an all-rounder.
He added: “The balance in the midfield is very good between me, Fin (Finley Barbrook) and Brad (Spencer). I can do these other things also sometimes. Our trio is incredible. We have all the things that you want to have in this area. The momentum changed a little bit when Hearts score their second goal but in the first half you saw what we can do as a trio.”
Falkirk form will translate to Latvia progress
Meļņiks will now head off to represent his country over the next week or so with two Nations League fixtures against Montenegro and Armenia coming up. And the Latvian is hoping that he can use his club form to help boost his chances of success on the international stage. He gifted Cyprus a crucial leveller during a 2-1 defeat that ended the last Nations League window in frustration.
He explained: “I am playing at such a high level now. And this is great because the Latvian national team doesn’t have too many players who are playing abroad. It is nice to have this difference in the group. Hopefully I can help my national team with the big-game experience I am gaining in Scotland.”
Meļņiks also hailed the Falkirk fans, saying that they are “something special.” The Latvian continued: “I didn’t know before joining that the Falkirk fans were THAT good. But now I see this. Even in those difficult moments, they sing and shout and make noise.
“They are the best. You see the Hearts fans leaving the stadium at 5-0 while our fans enjoyed that moment and they deserved it. What I like though is even when we are not in these good moments, losing or conceding a late goal, the fans still support us. Wow, they are something special with the way that they travel home and away.”