Ten-goal thriller as East Stirlingshire end Celtic B's 16-match unbeaten Lowland League run

The Falkirk side, currently 13th in the Scottish Lowland Football League table, ended the Hoops’ 16-match unbeaten run with four goals from Luke Rankin and early strikes from Callum Murray and Scott Honeyman sealing the three points.

“I was so pleased with the how the boys applied themselves,” he said. “We had great individual performances all over the park. Tactically we made some minor tweaks.

“I’d rather win 1-0. We lost too many goals. But for a neutral, you would have been pleased. The quality of our attacking play, and Celtic’s attacking play, made for a really good footballing game.”

Rankin’s four-goal haul sees the forward move onto 22 goals in just 25 outings, with his back-to-back hat-tricks putting him in select Shire company.

Scullion added: “It is a great memory for Luke (Rankin) to have and he was happily away with the match ball.”

Bo’ness United’s hopes of finishing second were crushed last Friday night after a 4-2 defeat at Hearts B. Stuart Hunter’s side sit in third. They drew 1-1 at Broomhill on Tuesday night.

In the East of Scotland first division, Dunipace won 8-0 last Saturday at Vale of Leithen to move nine clear at the summit. On Tuesday night, Camelon Juniors exited the King Cup to Whitehill Welfare. In the second division, Bo’ness Athletic beat Kennoway Star Hearts to stay seven clear at the top.