Declan McManus reckons the effort Falkirk put into their Scottish Cup match with Hearts should have resulted in a replay.
The Bairns went down valiantly to the Jambos, losing 1-0 to the Premiership side. A Sean Clare penalty was all it took to separate them both as wind and rain made life difficult for everyone involved.
Clare separated them. (Photo by Callum Landells/Getty Images)
It’s the first defeat of the Lee Miller and David McCracken reign but it was perhaps one of their better performances. All that was missing was a goal, although Falkirk did strike the woodwork three times after Clare’s vital strike.
McManus was unlucky not to score, hitting the Hearts frame and putting in a tireless shift in attack. He believes that Falkirk didn’t get what they deserved from the game.
“We knew we were playing against a good team. No matter where they are in the Premiership, they are still a team with a lot of talent and experience,” said McManus. “I thought we handled it well. I’ve hit the post, Gaz has cracked the bar. It’s one of those where a wee bit of luck gets us back in the game and we might even go on to win it.
Miller cracked the post. (Photo by Ben Banks)
“The penalty is a mistake but it happens and we reacted to it well. We more than gave a good account of ourselves. We were definitely hard done by, most people would agree with that. We deserved at least a replay.
“This is a sleeping beast of a club. It’s up to us to make sure we are in the Championship next year and have a crack at going all the way the following year.
“It’s the plan for Falkirk to get back to the big time and it’s definitely a club that deserves to be there.”