BY ALAN TEMPLE – @CCP_Sport
Falkirk stalwart Lee Miller reckons Peter Houston’s broadside at the Bairns underlines the rise in standards at the Championship outfit.
Gaffer Houston pulled no punches in his assessment of their lacklustre 2-2 draw against Raith Rovers last week, describing their second-half display as “just rubbish”.
The squad pored over the footage of the stalemate – which represented a fifth match without a win for Falkirk – earlier this week and they are determined to respond when they travel to Morton this afternoon.
Miller accepts that the players deserved the criticism, having fallen short of their own expectations this season, but is adamant they will heed the ‘wake-up call’ as they aim to cement their 16-point cushion in third spot.
The 32-year-old said: “We all knew ourselves that it was not good enough last week and we have pin-pointed how that happened – and we have addressed it. It’s settled and sorted.
“The fact we are up there challenging is a credit to ourselves and it says a lot about how far we have come that a 2-2 draw against a good Raith Rovers side is seen as such a disappointment.
“We have been grinding out results all season and maybe we took it for granted that results would come, took our foot off the pedal and paid the price. It’s a wake-up call.”
Falkirk’s winless run, which has included testing encounters against Hibs, Rangers and Dundee, has coincided with a dry spell for Bairns top-scorer John Baird.
Phenomenal
Having bagged 14 goals in the opening 23 games of the campaign, he has found the net just once in his last eight outings. However, Miller has no doubt that his strike partner will soon hit the goal trail.
The former Hearts and Aberdeen front-man said: “Bairdy’s strike-rate is phenomenal this season, he has scored two hat-tricks and has been terrific. He works so hard for the team, out of possession and in possession.
“The goals will come but, as long as the team is playing well and we are all contributing, that is the main thing.”
