Falkirk 2 - 0 Elgin City: Bairns are growing up fast

Falkirk boss Steven Pressley believes the club possesses a natural successor to departed Thomas 
Scobbie, in precocious teenager Stephen Kingsley. The marauding left-back, 18, netted his maiden senior strike for the Bairns against City and generally enjoyed a fruitful afternoon, displaying an admirable willingness to get into the final third.

Kingsley’s opener, deep into the second period, ended a laudable resistance from Ross Jack’s Highlanders. He ghosted in at the back post to fire a low drive past John Gibson following some excellent build-up from Lyle Taylor and Blair Alston. With just nine starts to his name before this triumph, Kingsley is likely to be more heavily relied on this term following Scobbie’s move to St Johnstone.

“Stephen is only 18 but he made his debut the season before last, at 16. That tells you what we think of him,” Pressley said. “He will only grow in confidence as he plays more football, and he will grow into the role that is there for him with Thomas moving on. We encourage our full-backs to get forward and he was happy to do that for us. I thought it was an excellent performance.”

Gloss was applied with a minute left to play, as Taylor lashed home a Craig Sibbald cross from point-blank range after Gibson had saved his initial effort. Pressley continued: “We wore them down by sticking to our passing game and continuing with the principles we believe in. You could see constantly chasing the ball had a tiring effect on Elgin.”

Elgin keeper John Gibson was undoubtedly the Highlanders’ standout performer at the Falkirk Stadium, turning in a super display to ensure the Third Division side kept the score-line respectable.

Jay Fulton, Lyle Taylor and Craig Sibbald were among those denied by the 23-year-old, who arrived from Dundee last week. “We worked hard to bring John to the club, and you can see why. He was absolutely outstanding,” lauded Borough Briggs boss Jack.