BY ALAN TEMPLE – @CCP_Sport
FALKIRK have been handed a massive boost as they aim to end their goal drought after Rory Loy returned to full fitness.
The 29-year-old has been sidelined for a month following a hip knock he picked up in the 2-0 defeat against Livingston.
However, Paul Hartley, who worked with the striker at Dundee, has confirmed that Loy back in contention for Saturday’s trip to face Queen on the South – and revealed he is already firing on all cylinders in training.
Falkirk have not found the net since Hartley took the reins, playing out successive stalemates against Inverness and St Mirren, and the Bairns boss reckons Loy’s comeback could prove crucial.
Hartley said: “Rory Loy is back and he has looked really sharp in training already. When Rory is fit and well, he can be a real asset for us.
“He has proved himself in this league, proved himself in the Premier League and, given half a chance, WILL score goals.
“He has been looking good in the last couple of days and he is definitely in our thoughts for the weekend.
“You are only as good as your strikers sometimes and, if you have someone in your team that can score you 20 goals a season, you have a fair old chance of being high up in the division.
“Our problem has been a lack of goals and he can undoubtedly score goals.
“The quality is there and we have shown that at times. We just need that little break; that little bit of luck or composure in the final third. We are not far away.”
However, there was less positive news on the injury front after it was confirmed that key midfield duo Tom Taiwo and Craig Sibbald face lengthy spells on the sidelines.
Ex-Hibs ace Taiwo has been diagnosed with a hamstring complaint and will miss at least six weeks of action.
Sibbald was on the road to recovery from a groin complaint but, having shaken off that issue, has been dealt a setback after suffering a thigh strain and Hartley stated that he will be absent for “a period of weeks”.
