Five-star Falkirk thump sorry Hearts

Rampant Falkirk obliterated Hearts’ 18-month unbeaten home record in the William Hill Premiership with a stunning 5-2 win at Tynecastle as they leapfrogged the Jambos into third place.

Wouter Vrancken’s beleaguered side, missing 11 players through injury amid a gruelling fixture list, were in disarray as the swashbuckling Bairns romped into a five-goal lead early in the second half through Finley Barbrook, Owen Eames, Liam Henderson and Jacob Murrell’s double.

Hearts hit back through substitute Sabri Guendouz and a Claudio Braga penalty, but Falkirk were well worthy of making it five top-flight wins in a row for the first time since 1995.

It was a first league defeat at Tynecastle for Hearts since April 2025. To exacerbate their grim predicament, the Jambos, who have won just two of their last 11 matches, lost yet another senior player as Malachi Fagan-Walcott limped off in the second half.

There were two changes to the Hearts side that started Thursday’s Conference League defeat to Thun as Stephen Kingsley and Guendouz were replaced by Yan Dhanda and Landry Kabore.

Falkirk boss John McGlynn, named manager of the month for October, made one enforced change from the side that defeated Celtic last Sunday as Jack McMillan took over from injured right-back Ryan Strain.

The Bairns seized the lead in the fourth minute. After Murrell’s close-range effort from Scott Tanser’s cross was brilliantly saved by Beau Reus, Barbrook reacted quickest to drill home a low, angled finish from eight yards out.

Hearts threatened an equaliser in the 10th minute, but Kabore’s effort on the turn from the edge of the six-yard box was superbly blocked by Scott Bain.

Falkirk doubled their lead in the 17th minute after the hosts were caught wide open on the counter-attack. Dhanda’s shot from distance was charged down, allowing the Bairns to break swiftly, with Brad Spencer weighting his pass perfectly for Eames, who fired past the exposed Reus.

Braga thought he had pulled one back for Hearts in the 20th minute, but it was ruled out for handball.

Falkirk took full advantage of this reprieve by adding a third in the 33rd minute as Murrell peeled off Fagan-Walcott at the back post to nod home Deniss Melniks’ cross from the right.

The visitors struck again in first-half stoppage-time as Henderson curled high past Reus after Tanser’s corner broke to him just inside the box.

As jeers rained down from an irate home support, Vrancken replaced midfielders Laurent Mendy and Dhanda with Guendouz and Matthew Gillies for the start of the second half.

But within two minutes of the restart Falkirk notched again as Murrell fired home after being set up by Ethan Ross.

Hearts got off the mark when Guendouz drilled in his first goal for the club from just inside the box in the 50th minute.

Braga then tucked away a penalty in the 74th minute after Guendouz was tripped by Lewis Neilson, but it was not enough to prevent a third straight defeat for the Jambos.