Three Blair Alston goals to give Falkirk hope against Rangers on Sunday

Falkirk midfielder Blair Alston likes a goal against Rangers - he has scored four against the Ibrox club throughout his career with Falkirk, St Johnstone and Hamilton.

18-03-2016. Picture Michael Gillen. FALKIRK. Falkirk Stadium. Falkirk FC v Rangers FC. SPFL Ladbrokes Championship. Falkirk first goal, Blair Alston 8.

He has another chance to do so on Sunday with Steven Gerrard’s side visiting the Bairns in the Betfred Cup last 16 - and the midfielder has found his scoring touch again.

He hit a spectacular free-kick against Dumbarton on Tuesday to record three crucial points for David McCracken and Lee Miller’s League One team, and spectacular goals against Rangers are not unusual either.

Alston scored a fizzing right-foot drive into the top corner for the Bairns when Rangers led Peter Houston’s team 2-0 with 20 minutes to go in March 2016. But a miraculous comeback from the home side saw Mark Warburton’s team beaten 3-2 - a comeback sparked by Alston’s goal.

Six months later and after a move to St Johnstone in the Premiership, the midfielder scored his first for the Perth side with an equally impressive strike at Ibrox - and since then he’s hit the Gers twice again in a 3-1 Ibrox win for the Saints and a 5-1 thumping.

“I’ve been quite lucky in my career, scored a few from far out in different games,” he told The Falkirk Herald about his latest on Tuesday.

"It’s been a long time coming since I’ve been back. I feel like I should have scored in almost every game I’ve played and not quite had yet so I’m delighted one’s finally gone in.”

Hitting goal-scoring form at the right time will be key for Alston as will taking the chances, as presented on previous occasions he’s faced the SPFL league leaders.

"I’ve been in teams before that have beaten them when we’ve probably been underdogs so that's what we need to try and do.

"It will be a really difficult game. It's going to be one of those where we’re probably not going to have much possession, it’s going to be about defending well and taking chances if they come.

"Progressing from the group stages was brilliant, now we’ve got a great game to look forward to. It will be a challenge for us but we’re looking forward to it and we’re going well so hoping for a good performance on Sunday as well.”

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