Coll Donaldson: I’m immensely proud of the Falkirk team for how we have bounced back from play-off agony

And team captain Donaldson, 28, who joined back in the summer of 2022, has been a key part of Falkirk’s success this season, having started every single competitive match across all competitions. The defender has only missed 23 minutes of football and that came on the second day of the league season when he came off injured against Cove Rangers.

Talking about the title run-in ahead of Saturday’s trip to Queen of the South (5.30pm kick-off), he hailed the mentality of the group, and of his manager, John McGlynn.

"We could have had the league wrapped up January and we would still be going about things the same way – that is just what the gaffer is like,” he said. “It is easy to look at the last few performances and think that we haven’t really been as dominant or ‘good’ but that happens at this time of the season no matter what position you are in. The gaffer deserves immense credit.

“You are playing a team for the fourth time in the league. That usually leads to them having worked you out and vice versa. There is more on the line, of course there is, but it is for both teams and that does lead to maybe a more tense match.

“We have a great group here – training hasn’t dipped once. If we train well then Saturday’s take care of themselves and that has happened this season the main. I’m immensely proud of the group. When I wear captain’s armband I don’t feel like I am the only loud voice on the pitch.

“We have a senior core of guys like (Stephen) McGinn, (Liam) Henderson, Brad Spencer. Tom Lang next to me. They all demand standards. We’ve been playing so well that there hasn’t really been any pieces to pick up on in general.”

Donaldson reckons that the shock 7-2 aggregate defeat to Airdrieonians last campaign in the promotion play-off semi-finals came with one silver lining. in that it helped renew the group’s focus heading into this campaign on winning the league title at all costs in order to avoid the lottery of the play-offs.

He revealed: “Last year was really a building block year of sorts, and I know that is probably hard for the Falkirk fans to hear, but from where the club was when I came in to now, I think that previous season was instrumental. The Scottish Cup run connected us with the fans.

“And of course it ended badly, but it made us so focussed when we came back for pre-season. From the first day, everything was built around ‘us needing to win the league, we have to get out of this league by winning it’.

“It has been a result of hard work. I don’t feel like I have worked harder before, maybe I am just older now. It is some achievement for me personally to have played in every game.

"I remember speaking to the gaffer four or five days after the second leg against Airdrie. “And honestly, I wanted to just get back in again as soon and get back to work. It was such a disappointment.

“The gaffer mentioned the players he wanted to bring in. It was people he knew well and players that we had played against before. That really gave me confidence because I knew we were building a really strong squad.

“I knew that it would only take four or five key signings rather than the previous year – where is was a case of a bit of an overhaul. And all the new guys have made an impact on and off the park.

“Did I think we would get this many points at this stage, probably not, but I was so confident that we had the best group of players and that we would win the league.”