'We can win the league if we keep playing like that' - star man Rumarn Burrell steals the show against Pars

The Englishman was given his first start for the Bairns after impressing manager John McGlynn and his assistant Paul Smith after coming off the bench in recent outings – and he says his goal is to now keep his spot in the team.

“I have to keep going now,” he told the Falkirk Herald. “I have to thank the manager and Smudge for giving me the chance because it was such a big game for our fans and our season.

“I knew that the game was a big one for the supporters and I won’t lie – the reasons for the rivalry are something I don’t know much about yet, but I just knew it meant so much, so I knew I’d have to run myself into the ground.

“The atmosphere that they created was amazing.”

On the day, Burrell’s running power out wide helped create the opening goal.

The Birmingham-born 21-year-old slid in Aidan Nesbitt, who found Callumn Morrison at the back post to slot home to make it 1-0.

Ten minutes after the interval, the Pars levelled through a spot-kick after Liam Henderson fouled Nikolay Todorov, and captain Kyle Benedictus slotted home to make it 1-1, and that is how the game finished.

“We had so many chances in the first half,” Burrell said looking back on the match.

“It was shame that we couldn’t have been two or three goals up at that point because we would have been deserving of that.

“I thought that the gaffer got the tactics spot on. I was asked to get in behind their defence, and it worked really well. We got them turning round to their own goal, which wasn’t what their centre-backs wanted to be doing.

“The second half wasn’t quite as good and it was a shame we gave away that penalty because we played well for most of the match.

“If we keep playing like that, there is no reason we can’t win the league.”

Having spent most of his career down south, Burrell is loving his time at the Bairns so far. The striker did have a spell on loan at Kilmarnock last year too, but he only made nine appearances.

“I am really liking it up here in Scotland. It suits me,” he said.

Match report on page 108