Falkirk 2 - 1 Inverness: Barr insists future looks bright for young Bairns

Published on Sunday 11 May 2008 22:32

FALKIRK captain Darren Barr says John Hughes' talented young team can mature to achieve something special.

The centre-half was one of ten players aged 23 or under fielded by Hughes in Saturday's comfortable 2-1 victory over Inverness.

In their last home game of the season, Falkirk signed off with back-to-back wins for the first time since the turn of the year to leapfrog Hearts into seventh place in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

Goals from Michael Higdon – his first since returning from knee surgery – and Carl Finnigan sealed the triumph, despite Barry Wilson's injury-time consolation from the penalty spot.

Victory at Kilmarnock in their final fixture would assure Hughes' side of seventh, but Barr – handed the captaincy after the departure of Steven Thomson in January – clearly wants more. The 23-year-old has continued his development this term, while fellow youngsters Thomas Scobbie and Scott Arfield have also become fixtures in the first team.

Now right-back Christopher Mitchell and strike duo Kevin Moffat and Mark Stewart appear on the brink of breaking through to the first team and Barr knows the future is looking bright.

Asked if Falkirk can achieve success if the team remains intact, Barr said: "I don't see why not. The way forward is the young boys coming through. We've got to stick together and be a team. Hopefully it will then show on the park as well.

"It's true we need experience too. Jack Ross and Kenny Milne have been brilliant for us and we do need that mix. You need that blend.

"But with the youth coming through it's only positive hopefully. It's been a long road for me and it's been hard trying to break through. I just want to be as consistent as I can be and take Falkirk where they want to go."

Despite the majority of his young players being tied up on contracts, Hughes may have to fend off interest in the likes of Barr and Scobbie this summer.

Barr, however, is refusing to get carried away and simply wants to stay focused on finishing seventh.

The Glasgow-born skipper said: "I'm happy playing week-in, week-out, I don't really think about anything else.

"It would be brilliant to get seventh, but we were obviously gutted losing the Aberdeen game last month, getting so close to the top six.

"We just need to get going again next year.

"But there is still one game to go, so we can't take anything lightly and still have a job to do to get seventh."