Source: Team_Talk
Arfield prioritises safety over cup
The Scotland B player scored his 10th goal of the season at Hamilton on Wednesday night to take the Bairns off the bottom of the Scottish Premier League for the first time since early March.
John Hughes' side leapfrogged St Mirren and lead the Buddies by one point ahead of their crunch meeting at the Falkirk Stadium.
Falkirk have their Hampden appearance to look forward to at the end of the month where they will try to win the cup for the first time since 1957 but Arfield, 20, is adamant that SPL survival is paramount.
He said: "I'm sure if you asked, then 90% of the fans would choose staying in the SPL than winning the cup and I'm sure it's the same for all the boys.
"It's a tremendous occasion and you are not going to play in the final every year but I think from a footballer's perspective, you want to play against the best teams every year.
"I'm also sure the fans want Celtic and Rangers coming back to the Falkirk Stadium next season."
"We all knew what was involved against Accies," Arfield added.
"It was all about winning. We had been bottom of the league for three months so it was a tremendous feeling for me and all the boys.
"But we have to focus on ourselves now, not St Mirren.
"Saturday is not going to be a great game. But hopefully we can get on the second ball, get a bit of luck and a few goals and make ourselves safe."
Arfield, though, believes the Scottish Cup semi-final win over Dunfermline was the catalyst for the Bairns' league revival.
Falkirk have taken seven points from nine since beating their big rivals at Hampden and Arfield is hoping he travels to the national stadium at the end of the month still an SPL player.
"We took confidence from the semi-final," the former Falkirk youth player said.
"We didn't want to go into the final knowing that we were in the First Division, so it was a great incentive for us.
"The next game against Motherwell was a fantastic result and now we've taken seven points. It shows you how much football can change.
"Everyone was writing us off when we were four or five points behind. But we all stuck together as a club and now it could be the best season Falkirk has ever had, staying in the SPL and getting to the cup final.
"If we can go to Hampden knowing that we are still in the SPL then it will be a great occasion."
Arfield believes there has been some benefit from the struggles he and the rest of the Falkirk players have experienced this season.
"You learn more about yourself when things are not going so well," he said.
"Last season we were going for the top six and it was all hunky-dory.
"But we had been bottom of the league for a few months and you know the experience will make you a better player."
