The Review: John McGlynn's Falkirk grow in confidence after flirting with Premiership big guns

For a dizzying two or three hours on Saturday evening, Falkirk occupied third place in the Scottish Premiership table, thanks to a 1-1 draw at home to Livingston.

John McGlynn’s side led for much of the game through Brian Graham’s first-half penalty, but Danny Wilson’s late header earned bottom-placed Livi a much-needed point.

Hibs’ victory over St Mirren in the late kick-off knocked Falkirk back into fourth. And by the time today's games had been completed, McGlynn’s men were down to fifth.

So, no, they won’t be getting carried away, but their brief flirtation with the big guns was a snapshot of how far Falkirk have come in the last three years and the impact they have made in their first top-flight campaign since 2009.

While they are probably a bit naive and concede too many goals, they are dynamic, well-organised and inspired by one of Scottish football’s best managers.

Perhaps more significantly, they are growing in confidence. They have lost only one of their last five matches — and that was at Celtic Park.

In some ways, it is no surprise to see a newly-promoted team settle in quickly. Like others before them, Falkirk are fresh, with positivity, momentum and all the benefits of an underdog spirit.

Last season, Dundee United finished fourth after going up as champions. A year earlier, Dundee secured a place in the top six. Before that, Kilmarnock finished 10th, Hearts third and Dundee United ninth. In fact, every one of the last 13 Championship title-winning teams have avoided relegation on their return to the top flight.

There is no reason to suppose that Falkirk will be any different, even though they were a League One side just two years ago and still rely on some of the players who started their remarkable journey.

As well as having a brilliant manager, they have a support bursting for success after 16 years in the wilderness. All the signs are that they won’t be returning to it any time soon.