JOHN Hughes isn't talking like a man whose team are bottom of the SPL. Falkirk's manager is the kind of bloke you want in your corner when a fight breaks out, and the battle to avoid relegation is going to be a scrap and a half. After his team had b
attered their nearest rivals by four clear goals yesterday, the big man was all but licking the blood from his lips. "I don't know what it is, but in a macabre kind of way, I am loving it," he snarled. "Bring it on."
Two goals by Carl Finnigan mean that Falkirk can begin again in their quest to beat the drop. With the help also of Mark Stewart's second-half strike, and a late penalty by Scott Arfield, they have moved to within a point of Inverness with a game in hand. This, their third victory in five matches against the Highlanders this season, was more like the Falkirk side who have excelled themselves in the cup. "This could be the best season in the club's history," said Hughes. "We have been in one semi-final, and we are in another. It could turn into a right good one. The dressing-room is up for it."
His counterpart, Terry Butcher, must have known that an end to the honeymoon was inevitable, but he could have done without it here.
The man who has worked miracles since taking over a wretched Inverness side two months ago watched them thoroughly dismantled by the club breathing down his neck. As well as the four goals, they lost a goalkeeper – red-carded with 10 minutes left – and a fair chunk of the confidence they have been building lately.
Butcher was taken aback by the performance, unlike any he has presided over since joining the club, but he was not for admitting that the damage was terminal. He has, apparently, been reading a book about Julius Caesar, the content of which will serve as inspiration in the weeks ahead. "The bottom line is that we have lost 4-0 and we are still a point ahead of Falkirk," he said. "When you take a step back and look at it, we have lost the battle but we haven't lost the war."
Their collapse yesterday only came after Falkirk's second goal, midway through the second half. Before that, they had been competitive enough. Despite enjoying barely a sniff of goal in the opening half hour, they nearly took the lead. A long ball out of defence seemed to confuse Steven Pressley, who misjudged its speed and watched as Adam Rooney nipped in ahead of the advancing goalkeeper. Had the striker's touch not taken him so far wide, he might have done better than pull his shot across the six-yard area.
Falkirk's attacking efforts were rather more convincing, although less than spectacular in the early stages. Stewart had come close, taking out two defenders with a smart first touch, before slicing a shot over the crossbar. And a cross by Arfield panicked Ross Tokely into a header over the same stretch of wood.
Eight minutes before half-time, they took the lead. While the legality of the goal was up for debate, its construction was geometrically pleasing. Michael Higdon sprayed the ball wide to Jackie McNamara, whose low ball took the goalkeeper out of play. Even Finnigan was looking at the referee's assistant as he converted at the back post.
Inverness had their best period just after the interval. After Dani Mallo had spilled a shot by Richie Foran, Adam Rooney squirted the ball wide. And when Rooney skinned Pressley wide on the right, his low cross to the front post begged for a finish. Dougie Imrie could only turn it past the post.
Now, though, it was the visitors' turn to be exposed by a counterattack. Mallo kicked from his hands, deep into the other half, where Higdon's head-flick seemed to wrong-foot Grant Munro. Quickly scenting his chance, Stewart dashed past the defender, and poked the ball under Esson with the outside of his right boot. No wonder Higdon was given a standing ovation when he was replaced by Kevin McBride a few minutes later.
It was the first of a flurry of substitutions, partly through injury – which forced Pressley to retire – and partly for tactical reasons. Neil McCann had been on the field only a matter of seconds when he inadvertently caused the incident that put Falkirk out of sight. Finnigan chested down his low cross into the six-yard area, but was impeded by Esson in a scoring position. Referee Calum Murray pointed to the spot, and sent off the goalkeeper. The first task for his replacement, Michael Fraser, was to pick Arfield's ferocious penalty out of the net.
Although the outcome was well and truly settled, Finnigan grabbed a fourth for good measure, turning in McCann's injury-time cross. By which time Butcher, who will be George Burley's assistant in Amsterdam on Saturday, was "getting pelters" from the home support. He turned to them and said: "I'm going to represent your country next week." Let's hope he enjoys a better time of it.
The full article contains 880 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
