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Saturday 1st August 2009...... Royal Antwerp FC Match Report to follow
Falkirk 1 Royal Antwerp FC 0
Carl Finnegan heads home!
Another home win against a european club.
30th July 2009
Vitor Lima is a Bairn again.
Falkirk have resigned Victor Lima. The Portuguese midfielder returns to the club after spending two years in Greece with Ethnikos Piraeus. Lima has admitted that Falkirk fans are "very special." That brings to six, the number of Eddie May's summer signings, Lima joins Marc Twaddle, Brian McLean, Ryan Flynn, Alex MacDonald and Danijel Marceta.
Thursday 23rd July 2009...... FC Vaduz Match Report
FC Vaduz 2 Falkirk 0 (Agg 2-1)
Falkirk's Europa League adventure ended at their first qualifying hurdle with an extra time defeat to Vaduz.
Bairns fell at the first European hurdle after an extra-time defeat to FC Vaduz in Liechtenstein.
Eddie May's tenure had begun on a bright note as his youthful side celebrated their first-ever game in Europe with a 1-0 win last Thursday.
But there was to be no such joy in the shadow of the Alps as they disappointingly exited the inaugural Europa League at only the second qualifying round.
Franz Burgmeier struck the 105th-minute winner to secure a deserved victory for the hosts after Emil Noll's goal levelled the aggregate score in the first half.
Last week's goalscorer Ryan Flynn dropped out with a slight strain and Chris Mitchell came in as part of a more cautious 4-2-3-1 line-up.
Vaduz coach Pierre Littbarski, the German World Cup winner, sent out the same team on home soil.
The neat Rheinpark Stadion welcomed around 1,000 Bairns fans who made their voices heard before kick-off, despite the arrival of heavy rain and a blustery wind.
The early exchanges showed there was no love lost between the sides as tackles flew in - resulting in six first-half bookings - before Vaduz began to boss the action.
Throwing players forward in a flexible 4-4-2 formation, Pascal Cerrone sped in behind Darren Barr in the right-back position but his cross was gathered by Robert Olejnik.
Lively left midfielder Burgmeier then cut inside to flash a 25-yard drive just past.
The Bairns were struggling as Vaduz dominated, Damian Bellon next to see a shot deflected wide.
Bobby Olejnik was then called into meaningful action, clawing away a strike from Michael Stegmayer that was deflected en route by Nick Proschwitz. It was a smart save, even if the offside flag had been raised.
Burgmeier, the ex-Darlington player, was proving a nuisance and he was unlucky to see Marc Twaddle block another attempt for a corner.
But the red tide flowing towards the Falkirk goal claimed its reward on 24 minutes.
From yet another set piece, the Bairns failed to properly clear and centre-half Noll was able to turn Brian McLean and flick past Olejnik's despairing hand.
With conditions worsening as thunder cracked and lightning flashed, May's men were struggling to even move from their own half.
Bellon and Burgmeier again tried their luck from distance, the latter denied by a superb Olejnik stop. The Austrian keeper produced another excellent save to parry Bellon's long-range shot seconds from the break.
The pattern of play continued upon the re-start, Proschwitz seeing another shot deflected away.
Colocci then broke clear on the right and centred for the on-rushing Burgmeier who saw Olejnik spectacularly push over. Centre-half Marco Steil even stormed forward to try his luck from distance, seeking to emulate his partner Noll.
Flynn's arrival for the Bairns was welcomed, replacing Alex MacDonald, but we still struggled for the ball.
It was 76 minutes before the Bairns registered an effort and a chance it was. Burton O'Brien's corner landed at the head of Twaddle who nodded just wide.
Sub Dennis Kempe restored a familiar theme when Olejnik thwarted his fierce drive eight minutes from time before he wastefully fired wide at the end of normal time.
Ryan Flynn, set up by Scott Arfield, had a glorious extra-time chance but Peter Jehle made his first save of the contest.
It was to prove pivotal as Burgmerier won it, bursting forward and lashing in from 18 yards to secure a third-round meeting with Czechs Slovan Liberec.
Bairns suffered further misery when Carl Finnigan was shown a straight red card at the final whistle for an alleged elbowing incident.
FC Vaduz: Jehle, Steil, Stuckmann, Cerrone, Stegmayer, Noll, Bellon, Koitka, Burgmeier, Colocci, Proschwitz.
Subs: Deana, Bader, Loppert, Franjic, Ritzberger, Kempe, Sutter.
Falkirk: Olejnik, Barr, Scobbie, McNamara, McLean, Twaddle, O'Brien, Arfield, Mitchell, MacDonald, Finnigan.
Subs: Barclay, Flynn, Robertson, Allison, Lynch, Murdoch, Sludden.
Referee: Drazenko Kovacic (Croatia)
Click Here to hear Eddie May's post match Interview with BBC Sport
Falkirk 1 v FC Vaduz 0
The Bairns 1st ever goal in Europe
Thursday 16th July 2009...... FC Vaduz Match Report
Falkirk 1 FC Vaduz 0
Ryan Flynn's debut strike gave the Bairns their first win in European competition and a narrow lead heading into the second leg of their Europa League clash against Liechtenstein team FC Vaduz.
The Bairns were on the backfoot for most of the match but the only strike of the match came courtesy of 20 year old Ryan Flynn just five minutes into the second half.
On loan from Liverpool for a season, Flynn saw his low shot deflect past visiting keeper Peter Jehle after Vaduz had failed to clear their lines.
In Eddie May's first match in charge, Bairns made a nervous start and Nick Proschwitz's header which drifted narrowly wide was the closest either team came to breaking the deadlock.
Scott Arfield nearly grabbed a second moments later when his rising shot flew inches over the bar.
But the visitors stepped up their search of an equaliser as the match wore on.
Tam Scobbie was forced to clear off the line from Kai Koitka and substitute Anto Franjic also sent a header just past the post but the Bairns held on heading into the return match at Rheinpark Stadion on Thursday.
Falkirk: Olejnik, Barr, Scobbie, Twaddle, McLean, McNamara, O'Brien, Arfield, MacDonald (Sludden 89), Finnigan (Robertson 77), Flynn (Mitchell 74).
Subs Not Used: Barclay, Allison, Murdoch, Stallard.
Booked: Arfield, Finnigan, McNamara, Robertson.
Goals: Flynn 50.
FC Vaduz: Jehle, Stegmayer, Bader, Steil, Stuckmann (Sutter 84), Bellon, Noll, Burgmeier, Koitka (Franjic 79), Colocci (Rebronja 66), Proschwitz.
Subs Not Used: Deana, Pascal, Loppert, Ritzberger.
Booked: Stuckmann, Noll.
Att: 5,763
Ref: Damien Ledentu (France).
Click Here to hear Jackie McNamara Views
Click Here to see Eddie May's post match Interview with BBC Sport
Our new manager is ....
Eddie May, assisted by Steven Pressley and Alex Smith
Good Luck to the new Management Team!
8th June 2009 Yogi leaves The Bairns
John Hughes officially left the club to manage his home team Hibs, good luck Yogi. NOT!
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Bairns on European Tour 2009-10
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