Scottish Cup: Swift happy to progress after 'tough' second round match-up

“We’re in a good place,” Swift said talking to the Falkirk Herald. “That is us now only having lost once in eight matches, which is good going at any level of football. On Saturday we just wanted to carry that on and we did.

"The pleasing thing for me was that even although it wasn’t our best performance, we managed to find a way to win the game pretty comfortably. We started the game like a house on fire and Euan O’Reilly nearly scored within a few seconds really. Adam Corbett then did really well from a set-play which was well worked.

"East Fife’s goal was poor but it was only one mistake in the whole match and it didn’t cost us so I can forgive that. Recently we have been making error after error so it was an improvement in terms of our shape and stability at the back.

"In the first half alone the goal action we saw was enough for me to say that we deserved to win the match. It could have been three or four and that lack of ruthlessness was also a little but frustrating, but I am picking at straws.”

He added: "The draw could have been much more favourable for us when you consider the amount of lower league sides involved. We got the all-League Two tie which made it tough as East Fife are a good side.

"But we managed to get through it with ease and it will give the players confidence knowing they did much right within the match against a team at our level.”

One negative from the victory – which saw Adam Corbett and Matty Yates grab a goal each – was the injury to defender Nicky Jamieson.

The centre-half is now expected to be out for around a month according to the boss.

“It is a body blow for us.” Swift said. “Nicky has just got back to his best in my opinion and against East Fife he was back to his best. The truth is that it looks bad and a hamstring problem in my experience can be a tricky one.”

Next up for Stenhousemuir is a trip to bottom club Albion Rovers on League Two duty.

The Coatbridge side s it bottom of the table – but Swift believes they are a better team than the table suggests.

He said: “Rovers are a well coached team who cause you real trouble. They played very well against us in July.”