Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter
Who else for the Bairns?
Connor Allan: First start of the season for a player who came through the ranks at Rangers and spent last season with Kelty Hearts. Showed sublime skill to slalom his way into the Dundee box before finishing perfectly in the 89th minute to deliver Falkirk their first home win of the season.
Watch Sportscene analysis of Falkirk's resilience after coming from behind to win a game for the second week in a row.
Watch highlights as Falkirk came from behind to secure a late victory over Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.
Kenny Crawford
BBC Sport Scotland
Image source, SNSIf Connor Allan is what John McGlynn can find when the defenders cupboard is supposed to be empty, then Falkirk might be onto something in terms of Premiership consolidation.
As the Bairns boss bemoaned "bare bones" at the back, there was a pre-match spike in search engine investigations into this 21-year-old former Rangers youth player deemed to be the solution, who was surely going to have a nervy afternoon keeping Celtic slayers Dundee at bay.
A couple of hours later, the stop-gap had staked his claim for being one of the first names on Falkirk team-sheets of the future.
"I picked up the ball and just kept driving with it," said Allan as he explained his 89th minute winner against Dundee to BBC Scotland post-match.
"It all opened up for me and I managed to slot it into the net. What a moment; it was a brilliant win for the team and to get that goal just topped off a really good day.
"I just want to keep pushing on, make more appearances in the Premiership and establish my name."
He can probably tick off the establishing his name bit after that incredible goal.
With the dearth of other defenders at the moment, it's likely Allan will start midweek and therein lies his next test; coping in the cauldron of Celtic Park.
Longer term, his versatility might prove key in keeping those first-team starts flowing.
"All last season on loan at Kelty Hearts I played in midfield," said Allan.
"I feel like I can always help the team out, whether it's centre-back, centre-midfield or I can play right-back as well.
"I can play in a lot of positions and thankfully the gaffer gave me a chance today. Hopefully I can get more chances, moving forward."
We asked for your views on Falkirk's 2-1 win against Dundee.
Here's what some of you said:
Kenny: Thought we were poor first half, lacking cutting edge and trying too hard to walk it into goal. Second half we were much better and more clinical in both passing and we pressed a lot better. The second goal was an absolute peach.
Ross: We seem to be something of a second half team at the moment, which is slightly concerning. However, if our centre halves can turn into prime Maradona and grab all three points in the end then who cares?!
Allan: Punching above their weight. Hope they can keep it up. John McGlynn has done a great job.
Paul: Two weeks in a row having a poor start but a turnaround in the second half. Bring on the Celtic!
Nathan: Down a few players going into this one. Step up Connor Allan with a great performance at centre-back and a phenomenal goal to add to that. Delighted to get six points from the past two games, overall a fantastic result for us before Celtic on Wednesday.
Back-up centre-back Connor Allan scored a stunning 90th-minute goal on his first Falkirk start to complete a brilliant turanround against Dundee and hand his side a first home Scottish Premiership win of the season.
Image source, SNSFalkirk manager John McGlynn: "I'm absolutely delighted, we had to do it the hard way coming from behind again.
"It's nice to get it done [first home win], it's back-to-back wins after Motherwell last week.
"What can you say about Connor Allan's goal? It was absolutely incredible. It'll be goal of the week, if not goal of the month, season or whatever.
"It's his first start for us. We spoke about the amount of centre-backs we've got injured and the young boy has come in and done magnificently well.
"I couldn't believe the goal he scored. He'll be lucky if scores a better goal in his whole career.
"The resilience, character, and spirit of the players to fight back once again. I'm still left in doubt what's going to happen when we go in front."
Image source, SNSFalkirk lost another centre-back this week as Lewis Neilson suffered a major ankle injury to join Coll Donaldson (abdomen) and Tom Lang on the sidelines.
Fellow long-term absentees Aidan Nesbitt (foot), Ethan Ross (ankle) and Jamie Sneddon (hernia) remain out along with Leon McCann.
Billy Koumetio has returned to training to give Dundee a full complement of players. Paul Digby picked up a knock in training but should be fit.
Image source, SNSJohn McGlynn expects Dundee "to be pragmatic and try to deny" Falkirk when the sides meet on Saturday.
Bairns boss McGlynn worked with Dundee counterpart and ex-Falkirk manager Steven Pressley at Hearts and the latter masterminded a 2-0 win over champions Celtic last weekend.
"Dundee are off the back of an amazing result," said McGlynn. "I know Steven very well from working with him at Hearts.
"The way he set up against Celtic was different class, everything you would expect from a defensive-minded coach in terms of organising a team.
"I'm not sure exactly if they're going to come here and do the exact same, or if they've got some kind of tweak in it, but I don't think they'll be expansive and open.
"I think they'll want to be pragmatic and try to deny us and hit us on the counter-attack, as they did against Celtic."
Pressley briefly assisted McGlynn in caretaker charge of Hearts in 2005.
"He was always a talker on the game," said McGlynn.
"He's obviously very opinionated and he would always be talking about the game and what he would do, what formation he would play back in the day. So, yeah, it was a certainty that he would be involved in coaching and management, that was a gimme."
Image source, SNSThis is the first time Falkirk and Dundee have met in the top flight since a 1-0 win for the Bairns in March 1993.
Dundee have won their past two league games against newly-promoted opponents, last winning three in a row against such sides in the top flight in August 2000.
Falkirk have drawn five of their past six home games in the top flight (L1), including three of four games this season.
After their 2-0 victories over Celtic, Dundee could earn back-to-back wins in the Scottish Premiership for the first time since March 2024.
Against Motherwell last time out, Scott Arfield scored his first top-flight league goal for Falkirk since May 2010 against St Mirren, 15 years and 170 days beforehand. It was the longest gap between Scottish top-flight goals by a player for a specific side since Charlie Mulgrew for Dundee United in October 2021 (15y 247d since his last).
Image source, SNSFalkirk boss John McGlynn admits his side have been dealt a "massive blow" as on-loan Hearts defender Lewis Neilson faces a potentially lengthy spell out with a "major" ankle injury.
The defender, who has made 12 apperances for the Bairns, picked up an issue towards the end of Saturday's 2-1 victory over Motherwell and McGlynn is looking at losing a third centre-back to injury - Coll Donaldson and Tom Lang have been sidelined since the start of the season.
"Lewis took an injury towards the end of the game and it's turned out to be quite a nasty one," the Falkirk boss said.
"So he's going to have to see a specialist on his ankle. It's not looking good.
"I think he's going to be out for some time, which is a massive blow because he's played every minute of every game, bar the game against Hearts when he couldn't play against his parent club.
"He's been exceptional. It's a massive blow for the boy and a massive blow for us because not only do we have Lewis out, we've got Coll Donaldson and Tom Lang out, so you've got three centre-backs out.
"As much as we've got cover, we're kind of running out of that cover, to be honest. [Left-back] Leon McCann didn't make the game last weekend and he's not going to make the game [against Dundee] this weekend, so we are kind of bare bones at the back.
"Tom and Coll have not kicked a ball for us [this season] and it's going to be Christmas before we probably see any one of the two of them, and Lewis is going to be similar. I don't know how long he'll be out but this is not three or four weeks, this is major.
"Everyone gets injuries, but we've had more than our fair share, that's for sure."
Image source, SNSDundee manager Steven Pressley says he is a "very different manager and person" from when he took charge at Falkirk in 2010 as he prepares to face the club who gave him his first managerial opportunity on Saturday.
Pressley was appointed Falkirk manager in February 2010 following the resignation of Eddie May.
The Bairns were relegated to the first division at the end of that season, but Pressley stayed on until 2013, winning the Scottish Challenge Cup in the 2011-12 season.
"I'm very grateful to the club, it was my first real step into coaching and management," he said, reflecting on his time at Falkirk.
"I managed there for almost three and a half years, and it was a great learning experience for me.
"I really enjoyed working with the board there and I hope I eventually built a good rapport with the support, so I'm looking forward to going back. I've not been back for a very long time.
"But a very, very different manager and a different person returns. Through time, experience and life, in general, you change a lot and I've changed a great deal from the manager who walked through the door.
"I was a very emotional young manager, a manager with exceptional drive, determination and very passionate on things. I've not lost a lot of those things but I'm far more controlled than ever before, more considerate and understanding than I was as a young manager.
"It's just natural progression and a lot of education.
"It doesn't mean you get better results but I like to think I'm a more complete leader than I was then."
Grant Heaney
Fan writer
Our 2-1 victory at Motherwell means Falkirk are one of only three teams to have won two or more away matches in this season's Premiership - quite the feat considering Hearts and Celtic are the other two sides.
To use the cliche, it was very much a game of two halves at Fir Park on Saturday, with one point - never mind all three - looking highly unlikely after arguably the Bairns' poorest first-half display of the season.
However, John McGlynn's tactical tweaks at the interval and the timing of his substitutions during the second half had the desired effect as we went on to bag our second road success.
With three of our next four league matches at home, McGlynn will now have his sights set on securing a maiden home win of the campaign.
Even at this early stage of the season, forthcoming visits from the likes of Dundee and Livingston already feel like they could have a huge bearing on where we find ourselves come May.
I think we can consider ourselves a little unlucky not to have already sampled a Falkirk Stadium success this term, so here's hoping for one on Saturday.
Watch highlights as Falkirk come from behind to stun Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership.
We asked for your thoughts after Falkirk's 2-1 win away to Motherwell.
Here's a taste of what you had to say:
Nathan: From one of the poorest halves of football I've seen us play in years to a spectacular away win. Some great performances from the guys in the second half and both goals taken brilliantly from Calvin Miller and Scott Arfield. Dundee next week now an even bigger game that it was before.
Phil: Poor attitude first half, second half we showed terrific commitment. Motherwell played very well in the first half and totally disappeared in the second. A game of two halves that was very entertaining.
Gary: Weathered the storm in the first half. Motherwell were really good. Second half John McGlynn changed a few things and the subs he brought on won the game. Well done John.
Katie: What away days are all about. However, we need to stop conceding first and making it hard for ourselves.
Image source, SNSFalkirk goalscorer Calvin Miller "didn't expect" to come away with the victory as his side came from behind to win 2-1 away to Motherwell.
The Fir Park side were scintillating in the first-half, but were punished for their wastefulness in the second half.
"If I'm being honest, I actually didn't expect it to be the result it is, because I thought Motherwell were brilliant in the first half," Miller said.
Tawanda Maswanhise put the hosts in front after 22 minutes but Miller got the equaliser 12 minutes into the second half before Scott Arfield sunk Motherwell with a second.
"That was a really, really tough game but coming away with a 2-1 win, with the football that they've been playing, is huge," the winger added.
Falkirk moved above Motherwell in the Premiership table with the victory and are joint on points with St Mirren and Rangers above them, and Miller wasn't surprised by the tenacity shown from his teammates on Saturday.
"We've seen that throughout the years from us," he added. "We'll not give up. Everyone plays a part. The subs coming on, everyone was brilliant.
"Going 1-0 down and coming away with a 2-1 win just shows you how strong we are in there.
"We go into every game as underdogs," he continued. "When we go in with that impression, I think we'll give it our all.
"Last week against Rangers, we go and we give everything. We get right after teams. It's slightly different today, we've never done that.
"Playing as an underdog will be key and vital to us. We'll surprise a few teams."
Scott Arfield smashed in a late winner for Falkirk as they came from behind against profligate Motherwell to pick up their second win of the Premiership season.
Image source, SNSFalkirk manager John McGlynn told BBC Scotland: "It was a rollercoaster. First half, we were totally outplayed, out-fought, out-thought. And we were lucky to survive only being 1-0 down.
"There was another goal before they did score, which was disallowed for a foul in the build-up to the goal, so we got a little bit of a warning, but unfortunately we just couldn't handle Motherwell in the first half.
"They were so good. As I say, we were very fortunate to come in 1-0 down, fair play. I thought that Motherwell were excellent and we were miles off it.
"However, thankfully there's two halves in a game of football and we certainly rose to the challenge in the second half.
"I can't fault our players for their resilience, their attitude, their team spirit to fight back and continue to do it.
"A really, really good goal, a well-worked goal. Great cross, well set-up for Ross MacIver and Calvin Miller finishing it really, really well.
"I'm delighted that Scotty Arfield goes on and gets us a winner. After that we'll go to defend. We managed to defend the box really, really well. And I'm delighted for everyone involved.
"We've got to take a lot of belief from that win. Motherwell have been doing exceptionally well. They scored two goals at Parkhead in the last game.
"And today, yeah, we all held our hands up, they were excellent in the first half. But in the second half, it was a little bit of a different ball game.
"It speaks volumes for them. So, no, we don't want to get carried away but I'm sure it's got us up a little bit. We have to build on that.
"We said after the Rangers game, we need to be more consistent. We didn't turn up the first half, but we seem to have turned up the second half. So if we can try and put some 90-minute performances together, then who knows?"
Image source, SNSMotherwell have Stephen Welsh, Elijah Just, Tom Sparrow and Callum Hendry back in contention with Callum Slattery set to rejoin full training on Monday. Sam Nicholson, Filip Stuparevic (both knee), Eseosa Sule, Jordan McGhee (both thigh) and Zach Robinson (Achilles) are long-term absentees.
Falkirk's Sam Hart has recovered from a bout of concussion. Aidan Nesbitt, Ethan Ross, Jamie Sneddon remain sidelined along with Coll Donaldson, who has had abdominal surgery and is expected to be out until Christmas.
Image source, SNSLiam Henderson admits he has questioned whether he is "good enough" to play football, but insists he "couldn't be happier" as he rides the roller coaster of the top flight with Falkirk.
The 29-year-old was manager John McGlynn's first signing for Falkirk in 2022, after stints at Cowdenbeath, Edinburgh City and Arbroath, coming through both League One and the Championship with the Bairns.
The defender has since made seven appearances in the Premiership, scoring the equaliser as Falkirk came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Hibs last month.
"My career has been a bit of a roller coaster to be at the top level and playing against these teams, with the boys you came up the league with is amazing and I couldn't be happier," the defender said ahead of Saturday's trip to Motherwell.
"You have to believe or there is no point in playing, no point training every night in cold Arbroath and Edinburgh City training games.
"You keep going. After you lose a game of football, you do question yourself and say 'am I good enough?'
"Driving up to training on Tuesday nights when you've been at your work all day. After it you do feel good, but during it you're like, 'what am I doing?'
"But I would say it pays off, to where I am now and how well the team are doing as well.
"My dad kept me going as well and I'm buzzing to be here.
"I'm grateful to be playing injury-free, touch wood. Obviously, I'm doing well enough for the gaffer to pick me and playing against these teams like Rangers and Hibs and boys that are on thousands of pounds a week and you're doing all right. You try and take the positives from that and kick on.
"I'm loving it and still learning every day."
