Falkirk leave it late to win in Kirkcaldy

Speaking to the Herald, he described the weekend’s result in Fife as an important one but also outlined why he thinks big improvements are needed.

“It was very frustrating actually,” he said.

“The first 10 to 15 minutes of the match we probably should have been out of sight.

“We were really good and we played at the tempo we want to.

“Everything was being executed down to a T and it was all pretty much going to plan.

“We went a score ahead and then we got another soon after.

“For some inexplicable reason, we just changed and for the next 50 minutes we fell away.

“We allowed their big heavy pack to gain dominance and get onto the front foot.

“They are a big, big side to try and stop and we let them use that.

“At half-time we went through what we needed to do and it wasn’t followed, which is frustrating.”

He was delighted with the result itself, with that win ensuring Falkirk moved into fourth spot in the league table on 51 points after 18 matches.

Grieve said: “We continued to battle and work hard and they tired in the last ten minutes, then with sheer persistence we got a couple of great scores.

“We were on last play when we we collected the kick-off and Gregor Ramsey managed to break free in the middle of the park and drive 40 yards to score the winning try, which was converted.

“Then the final whistle went, so overall we are delighted.

“It wasn’t fun for coaches like myself, though.”

He added that he thinks the Falkirk side of a couple of years ago would have lost that game.

“A couple of years ago, we would have lost games like that,” he said.

“We have become much more of a team with a backbone as such and we can dig ourselves out of corners.

“Bad judgements and things like that are just what happens.

“We could have kept a hold of the ball better during the game.”

Falkirk now face the side one place above them in table by a single point.

Preston Lodge will host them on Saturday.

Grieve said that trip to East Lothian won’t be an easy task with Falkirk’s current injury list.

“It’s going to be hard match with so many out. Harry Russell won’t make it“, he said.

“Key players are going to be out and some might not be back.”

Falkirk’s 2nd XV kept up their winning ways with a 52-14 victory over their Kirkcaldy peers to pull off a league double against the Fifers.

They are now fourth in their league after winning seven matches on the bounce, with games in hand on all the teams around them.

Grieve said: “They are coming on really well and we just hope this weekend we don’t need to dip into them too much to fill the main side’s squad.”