Source: FOOTYMAD
Always A Different Challenge No Matter How Often You Play
Jimmy Calderwood wants his side to notch up their third win on the bounce tonight but knows Falkirk are not that easy a touch. Kilmarnock meet Falkirk in the league this time after beating them in the Scottish Cup. Manager Jimmy Calderwood knows that the cup result will have little bearing on tonight's events and has warned his players they will need to do better against the Bairns. Calderwood secured his first win in his new job last month against Falkirk when Manuel Pascali inadvertently diverted home the only goal at Rugby Park. Falkirk will be a different side tonight as they will have captain Darren Barr, who was suspended for the cup tie, and recent signings Enoch Showunmi and Colin Healy to augment their team from that night. Being knocked out of the cup also allowed the Bairns a fee weekend ahead of tonight's game while Killie continued their cup run with a 3-0 win over Inverness. Calderwood said: "I thought we were very fortunate in the cup tie against them (Falkirk). They played very well and it looked like it was going to be a draw all the way until we got that late goal, then our keeper saved us in the 93rd minute. That's football. Falkirk missed a few big players that night, Darren Barr never played. I'm sure they will be back, which doesn't make it any easier." Both sides pulled off good results the last time they played in the league with Killie beating Celtic 1-0, on Robbie Keane's debut, and Falkirk also heading home with three points from Pittodrie. The former Aberdeen manager said: "It was a great result, they have not won there for more than 50 years. The reports I'm getting from up in Aberdeen say they were very, very impressive. Apparently it could have been more and that says enough because it's not the easiest of venues. We know how difficult this game is going to be." Calderwood, who had Falkirk boss Eddie May in his ranks at Dunfermline, went on: "He always did great for me. He's a very genuine lad and hungry. It wasn't easy coming into that job, it was always going to be a hard act to follow after big John (Hughes) and Brian Rice. But it was a great move getting Alex Smith in and big Steven (Pressley) is there too. Keeping Jackie (McNamara) as well was a good move. So they have a lot of experience there, big Lee Bullen, another old player of mine." The cup win over Inverness secured consecutive victories for Kilmarnock for the first time this season and Calderwood has been encouraged by the players' response amid testing circumstances since he took over. He said: "We're getting there. We've not had too much chance to work on the training pitch. This is our eighth game in 26 days. It's not ideal when you're coming into a new club. But all credit to them, they have taken a few ideas on board. There is something about them, they are battling away and scrapping and getting results. We have beaten Celtic and Inverness but those games are gone now, and this will be a difficult match." Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba net)Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba net)This is Scottish-Fitba.Net
