'We'll be remembered as bottle jobs' - Falkirk ace's home truth ahead of Championship title showdown

The Bairns’ 2-1 defeat to Partick Thistle at Firhill last Friday night sees the Scottish Championship title very much up for grabs after Livingston won at Hamilton Accies on Saturday.

Despite Falkirk holding a commanding 11-point lead just over a month ago, they are now level on points with second-placed Livingston after a series of late goal capitulations. And for star performer Henderson - that means it is simply win or bust against Hamilton Accies this Friday when the final matchday comes around.

Liam Henderson: We’ll be remembered as bottle jobs if we don’t secure the Championship title

He believes that the League One invincibles squad, who have enjoyed a stunning return to the second-tier with a handful of key additions, will completely tarnish their reputation if they don’t get automatic promotion to the Premiership over the line.

“We were 11 points clear five weeks ago and this league should be done already,” Henderson said after Thistle defeat. “If we don't do this, we'll be known for a long time to come as bottle jobs. Nobody wants that in here. Not one person, the management staff, everyone, nobody wants that. We need to win next week.

“A wee bit of nerves has crept in, a wee bit of anxiety, a wee bit of anxiousness. We've got quite a young squad, so maybe that's part of it, individually and collectively. We need to work on these little mistakes that we've caught individually and go out next week. Put the foot to the floor and just go full out. When we're on the pitch, relax. Just relax, play what we're good at, do what we're good at.”

“If you look at the positives somehow, it is still in our hands with a game to go. We have Hamilton at home. It's going to be a sore one to try and forget this and go again next week and play like we know we can and shut up shop at the back and win the game.”

Second-half showing against Partick Thistle ‘lacked a bit of balls’ according to Falkirk fans’ favourite

Reviewing the Firhill failure, which saw substitute Terry Ablade net a 98th-minute winner for ten-man Thistle, Henderson didn’t pull any punches. He reckoned no-one showed “a bit of balls” make something in the second half. Alfredo Agyeman was sent off with eight minutes remaining but Thistle had been playing with ten men since the 35th minute.

“We started the game slow and conceded a goal,” he said. “I thought our response was really good after conceding the goal. I thought we were really dominant. And we should have really been one up at least at half time. We had chances to take the lead. Obviously we didn’t do that. Second half, we didn't create anything. I don't think we had a shot on target. We were chucking some hopeful balls in but nobody was really taking the scruff of the game and showing a bit of balls. The Achilles heel for us, conceding the late goal, it's just not good enough.”

Henderson did managed to find one positive from a chastening night - the Falkirk fans who once again turned out in big numbers and got behind the team to the final whistle.

“The fans have been different class,” he said. “The backing from the fans is incredible. I don't know how many there was here tonight - but they were louder than the (home) fans here. They were outstanding. We can apologise to them because they’ve been different class.”