Monday November 9th 2026
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Adam Bowen
It was Remembrance Sunday, which is a day that is huge for everyone in Scotland but especially Hearts, a club whose players stepped up. 30 of their contracted players and staff members fought in the First World War with 16 of them signing up for the McCrae’s Battalion in November 1916. 7 Hearts players lost their life in the First World War, 5 of whom were members of the McCrae’s Battalion.
Before the game there was a minute of silence as well as a lone bagpiper playing “Flowers of the Forest” and then a lone bugler playing the “Last Post.”
Hearts came into this fixture in not the best of places. A derby defeat at Hampden 7 days ago and then a 3-1 away loss to Thun in the Conference League.
With Rangers winning on Saturday last night it increased their gap from Hearts to 7 points, however a win for Hearts would see them only 4 away from the Glasgow giants.
Falkirk on the other hand, have the best form in the league now and a win would make them go 5 for 5 in their latest games.
The injury crisis for Hearts is really getting out of hand with Kingsley now unavailable due to an injury he picked up in Thursday night’s clash against Thun in the Conference league.
Guendouz is the only other Hearts player who started on Thursday night but didn’t feature in the starting 11 yesterday.
Yan Dhanda and Kabore both started.
As for Falkirk, it was only the one change for them following last week’s incredible win over Celtic.
McMillan comes in for Strain who had to come off against Celtic only 5 minutes in due to injury, he was not included in the team sheet.
Now onto the game.
Falkirk were straight out of the blocks, they got the ball wide before playing a great cross in for Murrell forcing Reus to produce an incredible save however the rebound found the charging Barbrook who slotted the ball into the bottom left corner, putting Falkirk ahead just 4 minutes in.
Falkirk then capitalised on a poor shot by Yan Dhanda. They quickly played the ball up to Spencer who drove forward before switching the play beautifully into the path of Eames who kept his composure with acres of space and just the keeper to beat, he slotted it past Reus.
Hearts thought they found one back when Braga capitalised on a mistake before swivelling and finding the bottom corner. However, the referee disallowed the goal for a foul in the build-up, which was then intervened by VAR who disallowed the goal for a handball.
Falkirk had so much space going forward the whole of the first half, and they utilised it once again.
They worked the ball wide before drilling it into the box where Ross was able to have 2 attempts on goal before playing it back out to the wide area. Falkirk passed the ball around quickly with very little press before playing another ball in, this time to Murrell whose brilliant header from the back post found the opposite corner.
3-0 after just 30 minutes. Not a good day for Hearts fans.
Somehow, in added time it got even worse for Hearts when they failed to clear a Falkirk corner before Liam Henderson ended up with the ball just inside the box before clipping it into the far top corner.
The Falkirk fans were really enjoying this goal fest as Hearts fans began to leave.
Hearts went in at the break 4 goals down.
Mendy and Yan Dhanda were taken off the pitch at halftime with youngster Matthew Gillies and Guendouz replacing them.
I don’t even know how it got worse, but it did. Just 3 minutes into the second half Ross found space down the right side – an area that brought so much joy for Falkirk the whole game – before playing a ball into the box where Murrell’s fabulous first-time finish found the corner of the net.
Hearts managed to make the afternoon a bit more bearable for the fans when substitute Guendouz picked up the ball just inside the box before dispatching a cool finish into the back of the net.
However, it was really turning into a nightmare for Hearts, good news for the Jambos it wasn’t a goal this time, but they probably would have preferred that. Fagan-Walcott pulled up holding his hamstring and had to come off. Another injured defender to join the rest of the squad.
Hearts won a penalty in the 73rd minute after Guendouz’s magic feet attracted a lunge from Neilson brining him down to the ground.
Braga stepped up powering the ball into the middle of the goal.
5-2 with 15 minutes to go, could they…
Hearts did really come into the game for the last 15 minutes creating numerous chances, but they were all stopped by Falkirk’s last ditch defending.
As the game drew to an end the Hearts fans seemed happier with what they were seeing but they still understood that the performance today was nowhere near good enough.
Boos rung around the very empty stadium whilst Falkirk fans were in great spirits jumping up and down as the final whistle sounded, Heart of Midlothian 2-5 Falkirk.
Wouter Vrancken said the first half display was an “embarrassment.”
He went on to say that they were,
“Childish goals, and it cannot happen on this level.”
A very happy Falkirk boss John McGlynn shared his thoughts,
“First half we were outstanding”
He also mentioned the injury crisis Hearts had and the Thursday Sunday schedule saying,
“It was always going to be difficult for them
“So, we had to smell blood, we had to get a goal from it, and that’s exactly what happened.”
That loss now ends Hearts unbeaten streak of 26 games at Tynecastle.
Both teams will now have some time off from the busy schedule as we head into the international break.
Hearts will face Dundee away from home with Falkirk hosting St Johnstone after the break.
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