Hughes geared up for crunch clash
Falkirk manager John Hughes is bracing himself for his side's crunch game against fellow relegation candidates St Mirren this weekend.
14 May 2009 - 08:50:19
Midfielder Scott Arfield's second-half winner at Hamilton took the Bairns off the bottom of the SPL and one point ahead of the struggling Paisley side, who travel to Falkirk on Saturday.
Hughes was so wrapped up in Wednesday's win he initially failed to realise victory over the Saints, who lost at Kilmarnock, would guarantee his club's safety.
However, Hughes will take nothing for granted even though Gus MacPherson's side appear to be in freefall.
He said: "We are celebrating nothing.
"We know the importance of the game on Saturday.
"It will be two teams fighting for their lives and we have to handle the pressure and anxiety and everything that goes with it.
"We have got momentum but I have great respect for (Saints boss) Gus MacPherson, St Mirren, Hamilton and all the teams around us.
"We are not getting carried away. It is a fine line between the teams down at the bottom.
"We can all beat each other on our day."
Hughes added: "It was a fantastic goal but it was one of the worst games of football I've seen in a long, long time.
"But it's all about picking up three points and getting off the bottom of the league.
"We have to show the same spirit.
"I just asked our boys to make sure it is in our own hands five weeks ago.
"I am delighted as I said but we will keep our feet on the ground."
Accies needed one point to ensure safety but they remain four points ahead of St Mirren with two games remaining as a result of the defeat.
Boss Billy Reid said: "We still have our destiny in our own hands and we believe we can do it.
"We deserved a point on the balance of play and on the chances we made but it wasn't to be.
"It was a great result for Falkirk. They would have been happy to go in at the interval at 0-0 but they played well for 20 minutes after the break and deserved to get their goal.
"We just needed someone to pull the trigger and I'm sure we would have had the ball in the net."
