Falkirk 3 Rangers 2 - Hippolyte creates pandemonium in late win: Watch It Again Weekend with FalkirkTV, March 2016

FALKIRK 3 RANGERS 2

They thought Falkirk were out, but Peter Houston’s three substitutes pulled them back in.

The Bairns –inspired by Myles Hippolyte, BobMcHugh and Kevin O’Hara– sparked the unlikeliest of comebacks to overturn a two-goal half-time deficit to rampant Rangers, who quickly became the reeling Rangers as the Bairns sucker-punched them with three goals in the final frantic 18 minutes.

Perhaps Rangers became complacent after slicing through the Bairns back-line with such ease at the beginning, but perhaps Falkirk were just too good in those closing stages.

Perhaps Mark Warburton’s substitutions weakened the visitors by removing Kenny Miller and the visitors ‘most dangerous player in Barrie McKay, but perhaps Falkirk’s trio just made a bigger and better impact than anything the opposition could muster.

Perhaps, Falkirk are the second best team in the SPFL Championship, defying pre-season predictions, and they are perhaps proving worthy of a crack at the Premiership. What is certain, is this victory will live long in the memory.

There’s been no Rock The Stadium announcement yet, but on Friday night the Falkirk Stadium really rocked too.

“Pandemonium” was all BT Sport commentator could cry as McHugh wheeled away from his 93rd minute winner and half of Westfield erupted.

The record crowd had already been transfixed by a stunning top-corner strike from Blair Alston and leapt to greet Myles Hippolyte’s leveller which looked to have salvaged a point from a horrific beginning where Rangers were a class apart from their hosts.

But Kevin O’Hara chased down a long corner from Luke Leahy and crossed, on his weaker foot, to the front post where Bob McHugh surged infront of Rob Kiernan to tap in the winner.It was pandemonium indeed.

Before McHugh’s tap-in Falkirk may well have tapped out in submission because Rangers were two goals up before the clock had reached 10 minutes.

“I’ve got to credit Rangers. At half-time I was delighted to be only two down.First half their pace, their power, their movement–we couldn’t live with it,” admitted Peter Houston. “They were magnificent.”

But so were his side.He tinkered the formation and admitted his substitutions “worked”.

“Myles Hippolyte was a big factor and gave them problems. I’m delighted to see him get a goal. I’d have settled for 2-2 but that ending sums up the character of the squad.”

Houston’s changes changed the game. The trio brought pace, energy and attacking intent to the Bairns who had been static and slow in the first half.

Mark Kerr’s absence was felt, with the midfield fulcrum suspended. But it’s debatable if he could have made much difference had he been on in addition to the Bairns’ XI as Rangers’ slick play flummoxed the backline.

Kenny Miller tapped in a James Tavernier cut-back on seven minutes, shortly after Tavernier himself had been wrongly flagged offside ruling a strikeout.

Two minutes later the mirror image of the opener gave Barrie McKay a tap-in from the opposite wing for 2-0 and McKay beat the offside trap to round Danny Rogers for number three, only for Aaron Muirhead to scoop the ball off the line.

Something had to change. It did. As Peter Houston began to implement his switches in strategy and substitutions in the second half, Mark Warburton gave Muirhead a break by withdrawing McKay. Rangers had been quick and slick going forward against Falkirk’s cumbersome wide-eyed defence but the tides turned quickly.

Suddenly the Bairns were the rampant attackers and it caught Rangers by surprise. So too did Blair Alston who lashed a stunner into the top corner out of nothing and the Bairns’ tails were up.

Hippolyte ran at the Gers defence a lot like McKay had done to the home side and he rounded Wes Foderingham for the equaliser with ten minutes to go.

It nudged Rangers into an attack to regain their advantage and two points which had seemed secure just 20 minutes earlier,but theBairnssaw it off, scented blood, went up the park and sparked “pandemonium” and the full three points from Rangers for the second time this season.