John McGlynn: Falkirk boss admits his side's first-half performance against QOS lost them the game

The Bairns were defeated 1-0 by Marvin Bartley’s side at Palmerston on League One duty, with a Coll Donaldson own goal five minutes before half time the difference between the sides.

"We were miles off it in the first half and we weren’t at it at all,” McGlynn told the Falkirk Herald. “We lost the game in the first half. We totally dominated them in the second half and got in behind them.

"Callumn Morrison got in behind them and the ball flashed across goal a few times but we couldn’t get the ball over the line. The lesson to be learned is that we can’t start a game like that.

“The pitch isn’t the best to play on and that has been notorious throughout the years. You can’t pass the ball on it and we gave Queens encouragement by losing the ball deep in our own half too many times. The goal was a poor goal to lose and it the first half in general was just so far away from where it needed to be.

“The second half was good and it should have gotten us something from the match. We have to focus on us and only us – we have to dust ourselves down and be ready for Friday night.

"Kelty Hearts have been a difficult opponent for us this season and they have been very good in every game we have played them. We have to work hard and get back on the bike now.”

The boss also admitted that the ‘highs’ of Monday night’s Scottish Cup quarter-final win over Ayr United did affect his team going into this ‘bread and butter’ league fixture.

McGlynn said: “After such a high on Monday night, it wouldn’t have mattered where we played today, it would have been hard to reach that same level and it was a come down for sure.

"We had to make it happen and bring that energy to this game but we didn’t. The league is what is most important to us. We went over it so many times before the game, we would have to make things happen, we knew it would be flat and there would be no atmosphere compared to Monday night.

“I tried to guard against that aspect but subconsciously it just didn’t happen for us and the players didn’t get over that. We brought on substitutes at half time to bring some sort of impact to the game – and I think I got that.

"I thought Max (Kucheravyi) was different class today, he was the best player on the park by a country mile. We had one football player on the park in that first half and it was him.”