Lewis Neilson has warned that Falkirk have no intention of giving up third spot without a fight. The Bairns leapfrogged Hearts on Sunday as they collected a fifth successive league win with a 5-2 victory at Tynecastle.
Remarkable turnaround after slow start
It has been a remarkable turnaround for John McGlynn's side following a slow start to the campaign off the back of 17 new players checking in during the summer. And former Hearts defender Neilson reckons they have what it takes to cement their place as the best of the rest.
He said: "That 100 per cent that has to be our ambition to stay there. We know we've got a really good group of boys in there with so much quality. And I think more than anything else, we have a group of boys that are willing to work hard in every single game and I think that shows."
"We're in third now and there's no reason why we can't look to stay there. We want to keep this going. We know we need to continue to work hard at things every single day in training."
Surreal 5-0 lead at Tynecastle
Falkirk were 5-0 up at Tynecastle after 47 minutes before losing two goals and Neilson admits he was having to pinch himself about how the afternoon was unfolding in Gorgie. He added: "It was so good - really enjoyable. It was surreal at one point being 5-0 up at Tynecastle."
"It's something you probably don't expect even when you factor in how confident we are feeling at the moment. To be 5-0 up at one point in that game was something special. It definitely wasn't a fluke or a bit of luck. We won all our duels in the first half and we were so clinical going forward."
"You could go through the whole team, everyone's playing at the top of their game. We have some brilliant players at the top end of the pitch who are game changers, and I think that showed."
McGlynn influence key to success
Neilson, who spent last season on loan with the Bairns, joined Falkirk on a two-year deal in the summer after his contract expired at Tynecastle. And the 23-year-old admits gaffer McGlynn's influence is a big reason why they are doing so well.
He added: "That was a big thing for me, I wanted somewhere that I could call home and I loved my time at Falkirk last year. I knew it was the right place for me. I'm playing every week at the minute in a really good team with some great players around me. I'm loving it."
"The manager is a massive part of why I chose to sign for Falkirk. He was brilliant with me last year, and he's brilliant with everyone that comes in. One million per cent he is a big reason why. He's brought together a really good group of boys this year, and he's been brilliant with me."
"I can only thank him for giving me this opportunity and I'm loving every second of it."
