May going for the Kil with Bairns

Falkirk made an impressive return to action for the first time since Boxing Day when they held Celtic to a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

The Clydesdale Bank Premier League's bottom club closed the gap on Killie to one point but manager Eddie May will not treat the cup campaign lightly just because his team are involved in a relegation battle.

"It's another game we need to go and win, and hopefully not draw because I don't fancy playing on a Monday and Wednesday," May said.

"I can't understand the ruling but I don't understand why they don't play reserve games either. But that's for the authorities to decide and we will just look for the win.

"Do you make a preference towards the cup or the league? I don't think you do. You've got a commitment to every competition. Footballers sometimes get it a little bit easy, so let's go and work hard. If we've got a replay on Wednesday, we'll work extremely hard.

"So we'll look forward and not worry about how many games we have to play. The more games you have, the more successful you are."

Twenty-four hours did not prove enough time for Jimmy Calderwood to lift Kilmarnock as his first match in charge ended in a 3-0 defeat by Motherwell.

But May has first-hand knowledge of the motivating factors of his former Dunfermline manager. "He'll definitely be different from Jim Jefferies, I have played under both of them," May said.

"They are different characters completely and two very good managers. I'm looking forward to it, the first time I have competed against him as a manager.

"He was very good to me when I was at Dunfermline and he did a very good job there.

"He is very positive and very honest – and he gave me a game as well, which helps."

May is quickly finding his feet in management after debutants Colin Healy and Enoch Showunmi helped the Bairns to their second point against Celtic this season.

The pair are ineligible for the cup tie while Darren Barr and Carl Finnigan are both suspended but May has increasing confidence in the depth of his squad.

"There has been a big shift in terms of team mentality and quality from the start of the season," May said.

"We have got more toughness. People were saying we were virtually an under-21 team but I don't think we're that now. We have better competition.

"It's only an opportunity, we are still bottom of the league. But if that's the commitment and quality we can get, I think we have a chance to get off the bottom."

Celtic manager Tony Mowbray, meanwhile, claims his team will soon hand out a thrashing after they again failed to make their pressure count against the Bairns.

Georgios Samaras cancelled out Finnigan's shock opener five minutes before the break but Celtic struggled to impose themselves on Falkirk until the final quarter.

Celtic then exerted sustained pressure but visiting goalkeeper Robert Olejnik was only seriously troubled once in the second half, when he produced a superb flying save from debutant Ki Sung Yeung's 30-yard free-kick.

The finale drew comparisons with Celtic's previous home game, when they drew 1-1 against Rangers despite creating the vast majority of chances.

Celtic have now failed to win 12 of their last 19 games and are nine points behind Clydesdale Bank Premier League leaders Rangers, although they have a game in hand against struggling Kilmarnock.

And Mowbray has faith in his players to claw back the deficit.

"The team was good," he said. "We didn't win the football match, like we didn't two weeks ago, when the team was fine again.

"If I thought there was major surgery to do, I would be more concerned.

"I think the players have high enough quality to turn these games into victories. Somewhere along the line we are going to score a lot of goals, I'm sure.

"We are in decent shape. You talk about us being nine points behind but let's judge where the season finishes and I've got every confidence in this group of players."

Celtic found themselves a goal behind after Darren O'Dea, making his first appearance since playing on loan for Reading in October, failed to clear and allowed Finnigan to net in the 19th minute. Artur Boruc then saved brilliantly from Ryan Flynn before Hoops skipper Stephen McManus suffered a calf injury and was replaced by 18-year-old Josh Thompson.

Mowbray had already been without six players who featured against Rangers, including the departed Gary Caldwell and Barry Robson and African Nations Cup participant Landry N'Guemo.

While Mowbray was not helped by illness to Glenn Loovens and a late groin injury for Danny Fox, whose absence came on the back of Scott McDonald's hernia surgery, the manager could not guarantee there would be additions to his squad before the transfer window closes.