Falkirk earned back-to-back wins to start 2026 as an outstanding Finn Yeats' finish and Calvin Miller strike condemned St Mirren to a third straight Scottish Premiership defeat.

Victory gives John McGlynn's side a five-point cushion inside the top six in what has been a hugely-impressive, long-awaited return to Scotland's top flight.

League Cup winners St Mirren remain in 10th place - albeit with one or two games in hand - having now won just twice in 14 league matches.

Stephen Robinson's injury-hit side are 12 points behind a Falkirk side who have won five away games in the top flight and breached the 30-point mark after 21 games.

It was a game lacking in quality in the final third in the opening period.

Falkirk came closest when Dylan Tait struck from the edge of the box, it deflected, looped high and clipped the crossbar.

They seized the initiative after the break, though. Yeats produced a stunning finish to break the deadlock when Shamal George raced from his line to challenge Miller.

The ball broke perfectly for the young midfielder and he showed composure to lift the ball perfectly into the net to the glee of Falkirk fans behind that goal.

A crucial second followed shortly after when Miller got the break of the ball on the edge of the box, turned, and slammed home past George.

From there a comeback looked unlikely as the visitors manage to control much of the play to further enhance an already excellent season.

St Mirren's lack of competition right now in forward areas is evident. That's likely to be addressed through recruitment shortly.

They're pretty light in midfield, too, given injuries and suspension and it seems to be undermining them.

They're not far away a lot of the time and are more than capable of a strong run of form. You don't win cups for no reason, nor consistently reach the top six.

Most people view them as being in a false position. However, as games tick on, the challenge begins to mount.

Capitalising on games in hand will be a priority with a tough one coming up midweek at leaders Hearts.

The sides appeared fairly evenly matched in the opening half, but Falkirk took a real grip after the interval.

Five away wins this season is a brilliant return in what is an increasingly brilliant campaign.

They do have a challenging run of fixtures to follow but have more than earned their place in the top six as they continue to build their Premiership status.

McGlynn really has something bubbling at this club and the support are loving it.

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: "The last two games have been totally unacceptable and I take total blame for it.

"We took the credit for winning the cup and the top-six finishes, but now I have to take this blame and motivate the boys who have knocked at my door continually.

"The injuries have been incredible. We've got seven starters out. If that happened to Celtic or Rangers, they couldn't cope. We have to demand more from the players who have come in."

Falkirk manager John McGlynn: "We were outstanding second half. Not much in the first half, one or two wee scares. We were always dangerous. We were the far better team second half. Our mentality was very good.

"We've picked up 16 points away from home, we're equally as good away from home. We set a target of 15 points in the second block of games and we've got there with a game to spare.

"We have to continuously improve it but everyone would recognise that we're not a half-season wonder. We will keep our foot to the floor."

St Mirren face a tough test when they visit Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday (19:45 GMT). Falkirk host Celtic at the same time.

And both are in Scottish Cup fourth round action next Saturday, St Mirren at Livingston (15:00) and Falkirk at Tynecastle (20:00).