Beware a Cornered Bairn: Falkirk-Caley Preview

By: Ian Rose | August 29th, 2008

The fourth weekend of SPL action awaits, and for the Caley Jags, that means a foray down to the Firth of Forth to face Falkirk. Like the alliteration? No? Oh well. Anyway, the boys will face a team strangely similar to our own a year ago at this time – talented, but frustrated … underperforming, but still dangerous. Like Caley last season, Falkirk have gone their first three matches without a single point. After opening their season with an impressive showing at home, losing by a single goal to Rangers and outplaying them for good stretches of the match, they have failed twice on the road. They once again finished just one goal behind to Hibs in Edinburgh, 3-2, before getting steamrolled by Celtic at Parkhead, 3-0.

Don’t count John Hughes’ men out, though. They are a better team by far than their early results suggest. As a former standout defender, Hughes must have torn up his back line and keeper for their six goals allowed in the past two weeks. Last season, he had his midfield playing some of the most attractive football in Scotland, and he is certainly capable of doing that again. We do not want to be the point where Falkirk’s season turns to the good.

Caley has been relatively strong at the back, thanks in large part to the excellent play of center back Jamie Duff. Mikey Fraser and the defenders will be tested by Falkirk, and frankly, I can’t see us holding a clean sheet there, which leads to the trouble – we need goals.

This week against third-tier Arbroath, we found two scores from unlikely sources, Iain Vigurs and Garry Wood. They add to the league tally of one each for Andy Barrowman, Roy McBain and Don Cowie. As well as young Irishman Adam Rooney has played, he hasn’t bulged the net yet, and this week’s match will go a long way to telling whether the drought has made him hungry or frustrated. There are certainly holes in the Falkirk defense, and he may well get his chance this match.

Craig Brewster knows better than to underestimate this team. I’ll tell you one thing – Falkirk will win one of their next few games. If we can postpone that for a week, it will be with tough defending and by taking advantage when their defense gives us opportunities. I think we’re very able to do it, but, records aside, these teams are matched up well.

My prediction: A narrow win for the Caley, 2-1. Of course, I predicted that for the Arbroath match as well and we only managed a win on penalties, so there’s my record.

Mon the Caley.