Falkirk boss John McGlynn believes the changes he made for his side’s midweek defeat against Celtic paid dividends as they produced a blistering first half display to breeze past Kilmarnock.
The Bairns bounced back from their 4-0 loss at Celtic Park with a sensational response against Killie, racing into a three-goal lead by half-time thanks to strikes from Ethan Williams, Ross MacIver and Calvin Miller.
Tyreece John-Jules pulled one back for Kilmarnock with 21 minutes remaining, but it proved only a consolation as last season’s Championship winners climbed to fifth in the Premiership table.
“I’m not scared to make decisions — I’ve been in the game a long time,” McGlynn said, who was able to make four changes to his side and freshen up his team for Killie’s visit.
“As a backroom staff, we looked at the three games (against Dundee, Celtic and Kilmarnock).
“We played Hibs on the Tuesday night and then went to Tynecastle and were miles off it. I made my mind up that wasn’t going to happen again — I was going to play players that were fresh.
“We were gearing up and targeting this one and it’s worked. We’ve won three of our last four games and in this league, that’s not very easy.
“I can’t thank the fans enough for backing us. They are enjoying what they’re watching and I’m sure they can’t wait to come back next week when we play Livingston — it’s just a case of trying to keep it going.”
Kilmarnock manager Stuart Kettlewell is confident his team can respond after letting their supporters down at the Falkirk Stadium.
The Rugby Park side were improved in the second half, though the damage had been done in the first 45 minutes.
Kilmarnock now travel to Premiership champions Celtic on Sunday looking to halt a run of four successive defeats.
“We’ve always said that sometimes playing against Rangers and Celtic takes care of itself,” Kettlewell said.
“I’ve always found those games are easy to prepare for. Don’t get me wrong — when I say that, it’s just that those games are a fight that’s not really yours.
“You are the major underdogs and sometimes what you do in the game is unexpected and people see a bit more in you.”
The Killie boss was fuming after his side’s dreadful first-half showing, with some travelling supporters heading for the exits before the interval.
“I’m a simple guy,” he added. “People spend their hard-earned cash to come and watch football. They’re travelling, spending money, trying to enjoy their weekend while supporting their team.
“When you perform like that, you’ve more than let people down. The first 45 minutes was completely unacceptable and I hold myself accountable for that.”
