The Scotsman

‘I would have booed too,’ says Houston, as Falkirk slump to third league defeat

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Falkirk’s perfect Betfred Cup group campaign early in the season had seen manager Peter Houston linked with the Hearts job,writescrai­gstewart. Saturday’s 4-1 home defeat by Queen of the South, however, sees Houston facing the biggest crisis of his time in charge of the Championsh­ip side.

A third defeat in four league games has left Falkirk sitting second bottom with just one point and their fans restless. Plans to bounce back after an insipid 3-1 defeat at Dunfermlin­e were off course after just 90 seconds when Jason Kerr headed in for Queens following a Callum Tapping corner.

The Dumfries side remained on top and a second goal arrived four minutes from the break when Stephen Dobbie turned home a cross from Lyndon Dykes.

Houston’s half-time team-talk was undone 15 seconds after the restart when Dobbie curled home from 20 yards and the visiting striker completed an eightminut­e hat-trick from the penalty spot after Dykes was fouled by Luca Gasparotto.

Falkirk grabbed a goal back a minute from time when Gasparotto headed home but that was of little consolatio­n to Houston.

The Falkirk boss, pictured left, said: “We were chasing the game after 70 seconds through poor defending. The second goal came from our attack and the confidence was shot by half-time.

“We told them at the break that the next goal was vital and within four minutes it was 4-0 and we were facing an embarrassi­ng score-line.

“We had five players out but it was a team that should have won. We were nowhere near it. We got stick and we deserved it as it was not good enough.

“The supporters have every

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