Dundee Utd v Falkirk: Houston braced for Falkirk threat

DUNDEE United manager Peter Houston knows his players will have to shackle in-form strikers Farid El Alagui and Kallum Higginbotham if they are to avoid becoming Falkirk’s latest SPL scalp.

Falkirk won through to the quarter-finals of the Scottish Communities League Cup by defeating Rangers in the last round so will head to Tannadice brimming with confidence. That is not something in bountiful supply at Dundee United as they find themselves third bottom of the SPL. However, Houston is confident his team are about to turn the corner after shoring up their defence against St Johnstone last weekend and is hopeful of securing a semi-final spot.

Higginbotham and El Alagui have been running riot in the First Division so Houston is aware his defenders will have to be miserly. He said: “Falkirk have two good players in the front area. Higginbotham is a player I like very much. He didn’t get much of a run in the SPL but has been back in the team and making an impact.

“And El Alagui has been scoring a lot of goals so the pair of them will be a threat. It is going to be a very difficult game, you just need to look at their last result against Rangers. It is good that they beat an SPL side because it is in our players’ heads that if they can beat the SPL leaders we will have to be at our very best.”

Houston always had former Hearts captain Steven Pressley marked down as manager material. He added: “I have great admiration for Steven. I worked with him at Hearts so know what he’s about. He will go on to become a great manager one day, I have no doubt about that.”

United will encounter another familiar face in 36-year-old Darren Dods, who left the club for Falkirk in the summer, and Houston knows the veteran will be desperate to win against his former colleagues. He said: “Darren Dods is a solid, brilliant professional and a guy I have a lot of time for. He is very dangerous at set plays.”

Pressley reckons his young side are up against it but would not be surprised if they rose high to meet yet another challenge.

Falkirk could be without four first team players if Thomas Scobie fails to shake off the injury he picked up in the 2-2 draw with Partick Thistle at the weekend and Pressley said: “We will be stretched to the absolute limit if Thomas is not available to play but our players have a habit of pleasantly surprising you. If they play to their absolute maximum we can get through against United, although I recognise that they are a very good side.”

“The players did it against Rangers in the last round and they have been doing well in the league all season so you just never know.”

Centre-back Rhys Bennett is suspended, as is Mark Millar, although a knock picked up at Firhill on Saturday would have ruled the former Celtic midfielder out in any case, with youngster Craig Sibbald also missing with a knee injury.

Pressley has also asked for a re-write of the cup rules as a result of Bennett’s suspension, saying: “We have played one more game than Dundee United and two more than other teams in the competition but there are no allowances for that in terms of bookings.”