THE importance of tomorrow's clash with Hearts at Tynecastle is not lost on Falkirk manager John Hughes.
But the Bairns boss is adamant that the game doesn't fall into the "winner takes all" category as the sides battle for a place in the top six of the SPL.
"I'm well aware that this is a big game for both clubs," said Yogi, "but remember that we hav
e a further two hard games before the split. Defeat tomorrow won't be the end of the world for us but it would be great to take something away from Tynecastle.
"They beat us here last time but we got revenge on our patch so, although I know they're a good team, I also know we're capable of beating them and to do so would really boost our chances of finishing in the top six for the first time since we joined the SPL.
"The important thing is to focus on our own strengths rather than worry about what Hearts are going to do. Its a great place to play in and it can be a very intimidating arena but we have enough experience in our squad to deal with that."
The Bairns have lost only two goals in their last five games, suggesting that the defence is functioning well, but Hughes indicated that he is looking for a similar level of efficiency from his forwards.
"We've kept clean sheets in four of our last five games and, while that gives me great satisfaction, I'd be happier if the frontmen were doing it as well," said Hughes. "To be fair to them, our strikers have been working hard and the lack of goals certainly hasn't been down to lack of effort but I want to see us hitting the net more often."
On-loan Ipswich striker Billy Clarke could be in line for a starting place for the first time since joining the club, following his dramatic winner after coming on as substitute against Inverness last week.
The full article contains 342 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
