Falkirk

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Falkirk matchwinner Ben Krauhaus was delighted with three points at Aberdeen, even if the performance wasn't the best.

The 22-year-old, who joined on loan from Brentford in the summer, came off the bench in the second half to stab home the only goal at Pittodrie.

"When you're on the bench you're not too happy but it's the best case scenario coming on and scoring the winner," the midfielder said.

"I think that's something the club's never done in the top flight, three wins in a row, so that was the goal before the game.

"It wasn't the best of games but it's always tough coming here. The result is the main thing and we got that.

"I said to the fans in my last interview to just stick with us because training with the boys every day I see we've got a very good squad.

"Every game this season we've been in the game, we might not have got the result we wanted in some of the games but we haven't looked poor in any of them."

Watch Falkirk secure a third Premiership win in a row to deepen Aberdeen's gloom. Available to UK users only.

Falkirk made it three wins in six Scottish Premiership games to edge up into the top half of the league as a Ben Krauhaus strike gave them victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

Read the full match report here.

Have your say on the game via this link.

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn: "Delighted to win. Coming to Aberdeen isn't easy at any time. It wasn't a classic, we've played better and Stephen [Robinson] might say the same.

"Nothing in the game at all, we rode our luck at times in the second half. But our boys showed a great attitude, they worked exceptionally hard. Ben Krauhaus has taken the goal well.

"We've won three in a row, which is not easy in the Premiership. Delighted with that. It wasn't pleasing on the eye, we need to pass the ball better, but you take it over the course of a season.

"We had to battle and we fought, and we've got to give our players credit for that.

"We've lost games that we should have taken points from. It's swings and roundabouts. Today we weren't great but from the attitude, commitment and desire - they were all there. But we can produce more quality.

"Our players have heard a lot about what the team did last season. The team last season never won three Premiership games in a row. This team has done that."

• Last season, the three Scottish Premiership games between Aberdeen and Falkirk featured just four goals (1 Aberdeen, 3 Falkirk); only Celtic v St Mirren had fewer in 2025-26 (3).

• As a sole manager, John McGlynn has lost none of his five league games against Aberdeen (W3 D2), two with Hearts (W1 D1) and three with Falkirk (W2 D1).

• After their 2-1 win over Hibernian, Falkirk could earn back-to-back away victories in the top flight for the first time since May 2009.

• Aberdeen have won just one of their past eight league meetings with Falkirk (D2 L5), a 1-0 victory in April 2010.

• Aberdeen have lost five of their past six midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) home games in the Scottish Premiership (D1) since a 2-1 win over Rangers in October 2024.

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Aberdeen defender Mats Knoester (thigh) and midfielder Connor Ronan (knee) will see specialists while centre-back Lewis Mayo suffered a stress fracture in a foot and will be ruled out for a minimum of two months.

Centre-back Dan Happe and midfielders Findlay Marshall and Tony Yogane are struggling with illness and Kristers Tobers (knee) is still working his way back.

Falkirk's Ben Krauhaus has overcome a hamstring injury and will be available. Ethan Laidlaw is training following an ankle injury but the game comes too early.

Aodhan Doherty (foot), Joe Gardner (thigh) and Keelan Adams (ankle) remain out.

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John McGlynn revealed Falkirk's early-season points target ahead of the Premiership clash with Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Wednesday night.

The Bairns' 3-0 home victory over Kilmarnock on Saturday made it back-to back wins for the first time this season.

Falkirk, who finished sixth last season on 49 points after coming up to the top flight, are currently seventh with 12 points from 10 games.

McGlynn said: "The last two games have been really good, seeing the team gel together, the spirit growing within this new squad.

"They seem to be fighting even more so. I could never really fault their workrate in any game, we have been in every game, but I've seen them go that extra bit.

"Against Hibs we were under pressure but they stood strong and on Saturday we got a couple of goals to go in front but it could have been a game of two halves with the wind going in one direction.

"But we made sure we did even better in the second half against the wind and it was pleasing that we more or less killed the game in the second half.

"It was a pleasing win obviously when you have been down near the bottom, a bit nervy.

"It is still early days, very early. The game against Aberdeen on Wednesday is the last of the first round of 11 fixtures.

"If we win that game - and it is a hard place to go - we would go on to 15 points which is what we got after 11 games and every section of 11 games last season so we are on schedule for that.

"It would be huge for a new team. To bring in 17 players and hit the same heights as we did over the same period last season, that would be a success.

"That's the target though, we have to aim for that.

"This team has got to create their own success stories, history, whatever it may be."

Grant Heaney
Fan writer

Saturday's 3-0 win over Kilmarnock was our most complete performance of the season and a great way to secure back-to-back league victories for the first time this term.

Every starter played their part in a thoroughly deserved win, but one of the most pleasing aspects was the clean sheet.

It was only our second league shutout of the campaign and the first since the goalless draw at Motherwell in early August, so I'm sure John McGlynn was delighted with that.

On the subject of defending, Lewis Neilson deserves credit for the way he has performed this season.

I don't mind admitting I was a little perplexed by the decision to sign him permanently in the summer, and I know I wasn't the only one in our support who felt that way. However, I should have known better and had more faith in McGlynn's judgement, because Neilson is doing an impressive job of winning me over.

As we approach the quarter mark of the season, the 23-year-old has been one of our standout performers at the back and his consistency has been particularly encouraging.

He seems to be keeping his defending simple, cutting out needless errors and showing greater concentration. Those might sound like basic requirements for a defender, but doing them week in, week out makes a big difference and Neilson deserves praise for the improvement in his game.

Hopefully he can maintain those standards and help the back four build on Saturday's shutout with a few more clean sheets in the weeks and months ahead.

Sportscene's Steven Thompson and James McFadden discuss in-form Falkirk forward Jacob Murrell, who scored in Saturday's 3-0 win over Kilmarnock (UK only).

Two Kilmarnock players score own goals as Falkirk triumph in the Scottish Premiership (UK only).

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Falkirk boss John McGlynn has been delighted with striker Jacob Murrell's impact after he scored a fifth goal in six games during Saturday's 3-0 home win against Kilmarnock.

The 22-year-old joined from DC United in the summer and has settled in well, according to boss McGlynn.

"Jacob is very confident now," he said.

"Like everything else, you come from America and you've got to adjust. Loads of things are different, even driving on the other side of the road is something you've got to get used to.

"He's living in Glasgow, he's now settled down, he's comfortable and his form is really, really good.

"A couple of goals last week, another one today [Saturday]. He takes the header really well. It's a carbon copy of the goal he scored at Tannadice from a corner.

"From my point of view, long may that last."

Falkirk fans, we asked for your views after Saturday's 3-0 win over Kilmarnock.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Pabs: Storm Murrell strikes! Not an easy watch in that weather but Falkirk handled the conditions so well. Jacob Murrell played his heart out, his headed goal was technically superb. Sure, we were gifted two own goals but you need to be attacking to create those chances.

Jack: How ironic that the current Killie coach used our pitch as part of his excuses for losing against us. The reality is that they were out thought, out run, out paced, out fought, out played, out pressed by a team who wanted it, went after it and deservedly got it.

Mark: Well deserved victory from the Bairns, they coped with the conditions much better than Killie. Great to see the summer of transition finally start to show what this team can achieve with last week's result being backed up with another great performance and clean sheet. John McGlynn seems to pick up these rough diamonds and turn them into bright prospects time after time, Jacob Murrell is already embodying the ghost of Barney Stewart.

Neil: Great performance in atrocious weather. Think we've now found our best starting 11 now. I thought big Deniss Melniks was superb in midfield and McGlynn and the team have unearthed a gem in Murrell. We are a real threat at set pieces now and it was a great all round team performance.

Paul: Another truly Hollywood performance from Jacob Murrell. The hot streak continues.

Dougie: Terrific performance in terrible weather, everyone played their part in the win. Special mention to Jacob in scoring with a cracking header.

Jacob Murrell scored again and Falkirk were the beneficiaries of two own goals in defeating Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.

MATCH REPORT

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn: "The conditions were horrendous. The wind got up, got stronger. The last 10 minutes, it was like hailstones. It was incredible. Fair play to the players and big, big massive thank you to the fans that have come along here.

"We played the conditions. Maybe we played the conditions maybe a little bit better than Kilmarnock. We had a lot of good individual performances.

"It's a huge three points for us. It takes us away from the bottom and gets us in the mix, which is great for like a new team that we've put together. We're sitting here with 12 points, which is basically where we were this time last year. We're absolutely delighted with what we've achieved today.

"Jacob [Murrell is] certainly getting the goals and that's key as a striker. You're absolutely judged on the goals you score. If he keeps on doing that there's absolutely no doubt he's going to attract attention. He's here for a wee while hopefully."

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Falkirk boss John McGlynn wants his side to build on last weekend's victory at Hibs when they face Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.

Jacob Murrell scored twice as the Bairns won 2-1 at Easter Road, a result which took them up to ninth, one point above their next opponents.

And McGlynn says spirits are high as a result.

"It was a great result at Easter Road last week, first time in 20 years that Falkirk have beaten Hibs [there], so delighted with that and we go into the game with the confidence from that," Glynn said.

"We understand that Kilmarnock are in the same kind of situation in that they've just beaten Motherwell. They'll come here equally as motivated and as confident as ourselves.

"They've got a threat, two big lads up front. They're a handful for any team in the league. We have to deal with that and, if we can keep them quiet, that'll be a big part of any success that we get in the game.

"We do have threats ourselves. Jacob's on a high after his two goals last week. There's goals in the team, there's more goals to come from the team. The boys are in good spirits, maybe the best spirits all season."

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Falkirk are likely to remain without Aodhan Doherty (foot), Joe Gardner (thigh), Keelan Adams and Ethan Laidlaw (both ankle).

Kilmarnock goalkeeper Max Stryjek is out long term with a knee injury, while Bailey Rice has a groin problem and Neil McCann has several unnamed doubts.

• Falkirk won all three of their Scottish Premiership games against Kilmarnock last season by an aggregate score of 9-2.

• Kilmarnock rank bottom of the 2026-27 Scottish Premiership for xG (10.1) and xGA (20.9).

• Only Rangers (10.1) have lower PPDA (opposition passes per defensive action) than Falkirk (11.4) in the Premiership this season, while the Bairns have made the joint-most high turnovers (77, level with Celtic and Rangers).

• Kilmarnock have won just one of their past eight top-flight matches against Falkirk (D3 L4), although that did come away from home in February 2010 (1-0).

• Falkirk have won two of their past four league games (D1 L1), as many as their previous 14 beforehand (W2 D3 L9). The Bairns could win successive matches in the Premiership for the first time since February.

Grant Heaney
Fan writer

Victory over Hibs was a much-needed boost and may also have helped Falkirk move past a mental barrier they had been struggling to overcome.

Late goals had become a familiar source of frustration. We were denied victory in a 1-1 draw away to Dundee United although, if we're honest, the result was deserved.

We then conceded with virtually the last kick of the game away to St Johnstone, before Dundee scored late in our most recent home game to take all three points.

I'm sure I wasn't the only Falkirk fan fearing the worst as we clung on to our 2-1 lead at Easter Road on Saturday. It felt as though we'd seen this movie more than enough times already, even at this early stage of the season.

Thankfully, this time it had a different ending. The three vital points should give everyone at the club a timely lift and hopefully help banish some of the demons from those late setbacks.

Our new-look side has had an up-and-down start to the season, but we have lost just one of our past five league games.

Ironically, that defeat came in the closing stages of the game, but there are still plenty of positives to hold on to.

Now we need to try to make it back-to-back wins for the first time this season in what is shaping up to be a huge game against Kilmarnock on Saturday. If there is late drama, let's hope we're on the right end of it this time.

Watch all the highlights as new Hibs boss suffered a second defeat in as many games in charge after a home defeat to Falkirk rooted them to the bottom of the table. Available to UK users only.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Jacob Murrell says Falkirk are "rewriting the narrative" after his double secured a 2-1 win over Hibernian at Easter Road.

The American striker scored twice as Falkirk ended a run of frustrating results, having conceded late goals in games against St Johnstone and Dundee.

"I'm really just proud of the group," Murrell said.

"We're a young group and we've talked about it a lot this week. When we're there, we have to get over the finish line.

"Everyone has a responsibility to get over the finish line and the fans pushed us incredibly well today."

Falkirk came under late pressure from Hibs but Murrell felt they managed the closing stages better.

"We did a better job managing the game, not giving away too many clear-cut chances," he said.

"We were a lot more sure of ourselves. We cleared our lines well and got the ball out into better areas."

Murrell joined Falkirk from DC United in search of regular first-team football and says he is still working to improve his all-round game, despite his match-winning contribution.

"I'm still very young and there are still things about my game that I need to refine," he added.

"I'm not satisfied with the way I held the ball up today, especially in the second half, to take some pressure off the back line, who defended incredibly well.

"Obviously the goals are great, but there's also that aspect of the game that I want to refine."

Having never visited the country before, the 22-year-old says he has been made to feel welcome by the club and supporters.

Saturday's win was made even more special by the presence of his parents, Maureen and Greg, who were watching him in Scotland for the first time.

"To have them here and supporting me is really special and I wanted to put on a good performance for them," Murrell said.

"They were right up with the fans and immersed in that atmosphere, so I'm glad I could get two goals for them. It was a special day for me."