Rangers 1 - 0 Falkirk: Yogi boosts Hibs hotseat credentials

IF John Hughes were to decide to have a stab at the vacant managerial post at his spiritual home of Easter Road then he'd do worse than tuck a DVD of this Homecoming Scottish Cup final in the envelope alongside his application form.

For while it ends with Rangers captain David Weir lifting the trophy, it will show Hughes' Bairns outplaying the SPL champions for long spells in the sunshine at Hampden.

Ultimately, it was Falkirk's season-long failing of not being able to turn their bright, adventurous outfield play into goals. In 38 league matches, Hughes' side scored just 37 times, the major factor in their flirtation with relegation which was only ended by Michael Higdon's goal at Inverness on the final day of the season.

Such was the paucity of goals, Higdon himself was moved to declare he was no hero, insisting he felt more guilt at helping put his side in such a predicament by not scoring enough, a fact underlined by Scott Arfield ending up as top scorer with 11 goals in all competitions, six of which came from the penalty spot. The lack of a cutting edge was all too evident again as Falkirk sought to end a 52-year wait to lift the Scottish Cup but no-one could have complained at the Bairns' performance, every player in Hughes' team playing their part as they pinned Rangers down on the edge of their own penalty area for much of the first half.

Failing to turn both territorial and possessional advantage into goals is all too readily punished by any opposition, never mind either half of the Old Firm who, as most clubs know to their cost, are past masters of winning, particularly in cup finals, when they are far from their best.

And so it proved, substitute Nacho Novo dispatching a spectacular volley from 25 yards which dipped over the head of Falkirk goalkeeper Dani Mallo only 28 seconds after the little Spaniard had replaced the toiling Kris Boyd at half-time.

An inspired substitution? Ibrox boss Walter Smith dryly responded that if it had been so inspired Novo would have been on from the start. Novo, though, has proved a far greater threat when introduced to the action as an "impact player", six of his nine goals in the season just ended coming after he's stepped off the bench.

It was, as Hughes admitted, a threat which he saw coming despite his delight at the first-half performance of his side during which former Hearts star Neil McCann saw one shot graze Neil Alexander's bar with the Rangers goalkeeper beaten and another slip just wide.

Hughes said: "Novo always seems to punish us. All credit to him, he has that talent and it was a wonderful, wonderful goal.

"It was disappointing to lose that goal, though, because I'd warned them Rangers would be hurting, that Walter Smith would have been into them at half-time and to be really switched on for the next 20 minutes."

Rather than wilt in the heat, Falkirk came back at Rangers again but once more rarely threatened, 11 attempts at goal but only one on target, a Steve Lovell shot which deflected off Steve Davies before clipping the woodwork on its way past. Even the introduction of all three substitutes, Higdon, Carl Finnigan and Michael Stewart, Hughes' decision to have three forwards on the bench an indication of his intentions, failed to conjure up that badly needed equaliser. Rangers were content in the main to sit on what they had with Christian Dailly's late introduction seeing the former Scotland star deployed as a lone striker rather than in his more familiar role in defence.

An emotional day for the Bairns, when John Gowans, the father of 17-year-old former Falkirk kid Craig who died when electrocuted in a freak training ground accident four years ago, led the team out in tribute to his son, ended with all the praise but not the prize itself.

Hughes, however, was as happy as any manager could be in defeat, revelling in the fact his players had played football the proper way, a style of which the vast majority of Hibs fans would approve if allied to a greater goal threat.

The former Easter Road skipper said: "I'm proud of them, I have nothing negative to say. We had Rangers rattled a bit but you need to take your chances. But credit to Rangers, they were dogged and resolute. They have great self-belief and that's why they have won the double."

Inevitably, though, the subject of conversation veered away from Hughes' pride in his players to the possibility of him replacing Mixu Paatelainen in the Easter Road hot-seat, the big Finn having stepped down as Hibs boss less than 24 hours before.

While insisting his focus remained on Falkirk, Hughes will sit down with his directors today to begin planning for the future in a bid to exceed this, the Bairns' most successful season, against the credit crunch which he knows will have an impact on the resources available.

He said: "We have 14 players out of contract, seven of whom were out there in the final and I think they deserve to know about their futures."

Well aware that budgets are being tightened everywhere, Easter Road included as highlighted by Paatelainen only a few days before his departure, Hughes admitted it was flattering to be linked with both Hibs and Aberdeen who are also looking for a new manager following Jimmy Calderwood's exit.

He said: "Yes, we've had a hard year in the SPL but it has turned out to be the best in the club's history. But I'd love to think if people are looking from the outside they are saying 'his team plays football the right way and produces young players'. "Everyone knows what Hibs mean to me in terms of being a supporter and all the family having been born and bred in Leith. But that does not mean you are the guy for the job. There are other candidates out there."

Hughes declared he'd be happy to remain as Falkirk manager despite the flak fired in his direction by some Bairns supporters only a few months ago, insisting when asked if he could resist Hibs if they came calling. "If that happens or not, I am happy as Falkirk manager," he said. "It's all speculation and I'm not getting into those realms.

"If I am at Falkirk for the next five years I'll be happy as Larry so long as I am on the training ground in sun, rain or snow, trying to produce young players or making the players I bring in better."

However, as a former Hibs player and a close friend of Paatelainen – who texted Hughes a good luck message before the final despite losing his own job – he is well aware of the challenges a move to Easter Road would bring.

He said: "I think Mixu had done a right good job through there especially in the last two or three months.

"The expectations are high because the supporters always want to be up there."

10 minutes: Falkirk midfielder Burton O'Brien fires not far over the bar from 25 yards.

14: Neil McCann's powerful 20-yard strike grazes the top of the Rangers bar.

21: The unmarked McCann volleys Darren Barr's cross just wide from 14 yards.

22: Kris Boyd has the first sight of goal for Rangers after clever play from Kenny Miller but Kevin McBride deflects the striker's shot wide.

45: Falkirk striker Steve Lovell heads off the line after David Weir had nodded a Steven Davis free-kick towards the far corner.

46: Half-time substitute Nacho Novo lobs Dani Mallo from 35 yards with his first touch to give Rangers the lead.

74: Falkirk boss John Hughes brings on three strikers – Michael Higdon, Carl Finnigan and Mark Stewart.

76: Higdon taps home but the offside flag had been up for several seconds following Jackie McNamara's cross.

78: Higdon wins Thomas Scobbie's deep cross but Neil Alexander comfortably catches his header.

81: Novo bundles Miller's near-post cross over the bar from close range.

83: Lovell's half-blocked effort rolls against the far post following a Higdon knockdown.

GOALS

Rangers: Novo (46)

SHOTS ON TARGET

Rangers 3
Falkirk 1

SHOTS OFF TARGET

Rangers 3
Falkirk 10

CORNERS

Rangers 4
Falkirk 2

OFFSIDE

Rangers 1
Falkirk 7

FOULS AGAINST

Rangers 18
Falkirk 10

BOOKINGS

Rangers: Whittaker (41, foul on Scobbie), Dailly (88, foul on Aafjes), Novo (90+2, foul on Arfield). Falkirk: McNamara (44, pull on Lafferty), Barr (74, dissent), Finnigan (90+1, foul on Davies).

ATTENDANCE

50,956

RANGERS

Alexander
Whittaker
Bougherra
Weir
Papac
Davis
Ferguson
McCulloch
Lafferty
Boyd
Miller

SUBSTITUTIONS

Novo 46 (for Boyd )
Naismith 85 (for Miller)
Dailly 87 (for Lafferty)

McGregor
Wilson

FORMATION

4-4-2

FALKIRK

Mallo
McNamara
Barr
Aafjes
Scobbie
McBride
Arfield
Cregg
O'Brien
McCann
Lovell

SUBSTITUTIONS

Higdon 74 (for McBride)
M Stewart 74 (for McCann)
Finnigan 74 (for Cregg)

Olejnik

FORMATION

4-1-4-1