Falkirk boss slams side's terrible trait in recent matches and unforgivable 'indiscipline' from full-back

Falkirk gaffer John McGlynn admitted his side have a “knack of making things more difficult than they need to be” after they chucked away three points that would have put one hand on the Scottish Championship trophy.

The Bairns would have all but secured Premiership promotion if they held on against Raith Rovers on Saturday - but they conceded three goals in seven minutes at the death after holding out with ten men for half hour.

Calvin Miller had the hosts ahead at the break, and they were comfortable up until Sean Mackie was ordered off for two yellow cards in quick succession on the hour mark. Even after the sending off, ten-man Falkirk managed to restrict Raith to very little in front of goal.

That was until substitute Aiden Marsh found himself free at the back post to head home with two minutes remaining. Makeshift striker Callum Fordyce did well to head the ball back across the box - but Brad Spencer was guilty of losing his man at the key moment.

Paul Hanlon’s goal four minutes later was even worse. Ross Matthews’ quick throw-in found Lewis Vaughan - and his hopeful lofted cross found an unmarked Hanlon with all the time in the world to pick his spot. The Bairns’ backline hoped for an offside call that never going to come.

The third wasn’t meaningful in the grand scheme of things, but it was another shocker. Substitute Finn Yeats got wrong side of Vaughan and clipped him - handing Dylan Easton a penalty kick to make it 3-1 deep into injury-time.

We let our grip on Championship title go, admits Falkirk boss John McGlynn

"Up until the sending off we were very comfortable within the game,” McGlynn said. "Calvin (Miller) scored a great goal and he was a constant threat for that hour. Ethan Ross was involved nicely and Calvin did remarkably well to finish it. The goalkeeper (Josh Rae) has made an outstanding save to deny Ethan a goal that would have made it 2-0.

“But we had to put Calvin back to left-back once Sean (Mackie) was sent off. I was really happy with the way we played but the sending off changed the game. It didn't necessarily have to do that - we defended so well up until the 88th-minute. We had the league won at half time. At full time it's in the mix again.

"Nicky (Hogarth) hasn't had much to do but we fell apart after losing that first goal. To then lose goals in the 92nd and 96th really rubbed salt in the wound. I don't think we deserved that based on what had gone before that.”

On Mackie’s ordering off, McGlynn didn’t hold back. He said: "It is indiscipline from Sean to do that on a yellow card. He should have been more disciplined and more professional. He had to understand that he was going to put the team in a difficult decision and it has come back to bite us."

Falkirk team need to show character now after another late goal shocker

The race for the title is now going to down to the season finale next Friday night with Falkirk three points clear with two matches remaining. A significant goal difference advantage has the Bairns still in pole position - but McGlynn says the concession of late goals needs to stop now.

"I think we will - I have confidence in that,” he said. “We need to show character and get the shoulders out. We were so comfortable in the game but we have this knack of making things more difficult than they need to be. That's what we have done.

“We now go to the Partick Thistle game on Friday and dust ourselves down. We need to stick together - it is a sore one for us all and we have taken a few sore ones now. That's a late goal down in Ayr and a late goal at Livingston too. We've lost three late goals in three big games. It could have been done and dusted by now if we had managed to defend well and not lose our discipline today."