Steven Pressley admits underestimating lower league sides

STEVEN Pressley has confessed he used to underestimate the quality that lies beneath the SPL but he believes another Falkirk cup run would leave the rest of Scottish football with no doubts.

Falkirk have enhanced their reputations this season, with their progress past Rangers and Dundee United to last month’s Scottish Communities League Cup semi-final against Celtic raising the status of the young talents Pressley is rearing at the club.

Now, with the knowledge that a high-profile quarter-final meeting at home to Hibs awaits the winners of this evening’s Scottish Cup tie with First Division rivals Ayr United, Pressley spies another opportunity for his youthful outfit to showcase their emerging skills. Pressley said: “The last two years have been a terrific education for myself, in the respect that I wasn’t fully aware of what I think is the quality in the lower divisions. There are some really good players and good teams and the last two years have opened my eyes to that.”

Falkirk will be boosted by the return from suspension of top scorer Farid El Alagui but David Weatherston is likely to miss out with a groin problem. For Ayr, on-loan St Johnstone striker Sean Higgins broke a metatarsal bone at the weekend and he joins fellow front man Gareth Wardlaw and young midfielder Ross Robertson on the sidelines.