Match Report
Saturday, 23rd December, 2023
by Ben Kearney
3 things we learned as Falkirk put three past Annan to go five clear at top of League One
Three things we learned as Falkirk defeated Annan Athletic 3-0 at Galabank on Saturday to go five points clear at the top of League One...
Christmas crackers
The travelling Bairns support were treated to three goals of the highest quality at Galabank. Despite the heavy winds and rain playing havoc, the visitors played some tidy stuff at times. It did feel however that a moment of magic was needed to find the opening goal heading into the break, with Annan Athletic's defence proving tough to break through with Peter Murphy's side camped in their own box.
And that moment came five minutes before half time when Coll Donaldson stuck home from 25-yards to give Falkirk the lead. The centre-half, as he has already done this campaign, showed his prowess from range, finishing expertly into the far bottom corner of Greg Fleming's net.
The best of the bunch came ten minutes after the break from his partner at the back Tom Lang. The ex-Raith Rovers defender swivelled on the edge of the area and sweetly brought down Callumn Morrison's lofted cross before curling home on the volley. It is a goal of the season contender for sure.
Falkirk's third came not long after and it was a neatly-worked move from John McGlynn's men. Layton Bisland, who came in for the suspended Finn Yeats, took a quick throw and Aidan Nesbitt brought down the ball, beat his man on the touchline, before crossing to Ross MacIver who duly fired home at the back post.
Nesbitt is truly back to his best
Aidan Nesbitt put in an excellent all-action performance in the midfield against Annan. It looked like it could be a tough day after he was booked in the opening minutes for an adjudged dive, but he drove the Falkirk team on throughout the 90 minutes.
Usually, it is Brad Spencer who is at the heart of everything but Nesbitt took on this role today, and he showed why he is a good option to have around no matter division the Bairns are in next season.
The midfielder showed some excellent flicks and composure on the ball and he did well to set up Ross MacIver's goal. Boss McGlynn singled out Nesbitt for praise post-match and it is easy to see why.
He is a driving force and has made the position in the team his own. His dynamism coupled with Spencer's calmness and Liam Henderson's bite makes for the perfect trio.
Miller is giving Morrison a run for his money
What a revelation Calvin Miller has been over the past few months. The winger has come into his own in recent times and has certainly sealed his place as a nailed on starter in this Falkirk team. Against Annan during the first half, he was the key outlet and creative spark for the visitors. His trickery on the ball is a massive asset and he continues to improve with each passing week.
The biggest compliment you could hand Miller is that he is giving Morrison a run for his money as the main man out wide for this team. At the moment, it does feel like Alfredo Agyeman and Ethan Ross will need to make do with a place on the bench.
Back on June 15, Falkirk made a trio of signings in one day; Calvin Miller, Tom Lang and Brad Spencer. That must be one of the best days of transfer business in the club's history in terms of a success rate. Each player, now including Miller, have been big upgrades on what Falkirk had available previously, and they have all certainly been key parts of the Bairns' 22-match unbeaten run.