Watson's ingenuity helps secure Shire win

Derek Ure’s side last played on the 15th of January, and have been forced to play in friendly matches to stay fit after a number of postponements have caused havoc to their schedule.

Speaking to the Herald, Shire boss Ure was pleased just to get back into competitive action.

“Honestly just to get back out there on the touchline in a real match was wonderful and it has been too long,” he said.

"We’ve basically had a pre-season in the middle of the campaign due to circumstance completely out of our control.”

Goals from Dean Watson and Jamie Hamilton either side of the interval sealed the win that eighth-placed Falkirk side within close distance of the top six places.

Hamilton was in the right place at the right time to score a rebound to double the sides advantage on 57 minutes, but it was the opening goal from Watson on 38 minutes that was the moment of the match.

The winger’s deft back-heel was a real moment of quality and Ure said no other player on the park could have done it.

He said: “Dean is one of those players who frustrates you sometimes and wows you other times.

"He himself probably gets annoyed because he has so much ability and he just needs to show it more often.

"The goal was a touch of class and I don’t think anyone on the park could have done it, the guile to actually carry it out and do it correctly was superb.”

The hosts had made a number of chances to their side, with players involved with the first team squad in their Scottish Cup tie against Annan Athletic, but Ure didn’t buy that the depleted B side aided their chances of winning.

He said: “The depth of quality they have is staggering.

"On another day they could have easily beaten us if all there players played to the best of their abilities.

"But that is why they are in this set-up to learn how to find consistency in their game.”

He added: “In the first 15 minutes of the match they blew us away, but we dug in and then showed our own quality.” Shire now travel to Broomhill on Saturday.