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Sixth-tier Darvel will be looking to continue their fairytale run in the Scottish Cup when they welcome third-tier Falkirk to Recreation Park on Monday night. Darvel booked their place in the fifth round with a stunning victory over Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen, while Falkirk dispatched Alloa Athletic to punch their ticket to the last 16.
Few would argue that Darvel’s fourth-round win against Aberdeen is not the biggest upset in the 150-year history of the Scottish Cup, given the obvious gulf between the two clubs. Aberdeen have competed in the top flight of Scottish football since 1905 and have won the Scottish Cup seven times, while Darvel compete in the West of Scotland Football League Premier Division – the sixth tier of Scottish football.
Still, Darvel managed to beat Aberdeen 1-0, with Jordan Kirkpatrick scoring the only goal of the game midway through the first half, upsetting the seven-time winners in dramatic fashion. After kicking off their Scottish Cup campaign with an 8-0 thrashing of Tynecastle, the Vale crushed Dalbeattie Star 7-1 before beating Stirling University on penalties, with a 5-2 victory over Montrose coming in the third round.
However, there is absolutely no denying that last month’s win against Aberdeen is the standout result of the Ayrshire outfit’s remarkable – and unexpected – run to the last 16 of the competition. Mick Kennedy’s men prepared for the visit of Falkirk with a comfortable 5-0 league victory over Irvine Meadow XI last weekend, producing the perfect warm-up performance for Monday’s showdown.
On the flip side, Falkirk have only had to play two games to reach the fifth round of the Scottish Cup, hammering Wick Academy 6-0 before beating Alloa Athletic 2-1 last month.
We say: Darvel 1-2 Falkirk
Despite their valiant efforts in the previous rounds, Darvel’s Scottish Cup run looks set to end on Monday, with Falkirk expected to flex their muscles and advance to the quarter-finals following a tough battle at Recreation Park.
This match will start from 1:15 am
This match will take place on 14 February 2023
Darvel made two signings during the winter transfer window, bringing in midfielder Robbie McNab from Kelty Hearts and centre-back Andy McDonald from Peterhead.
Allan MacKenzie has scored five goals in five Scottish Cup appearances for the Vale this season, while Ian McShane has bagged three goals and three assists from midfield.
Kennedy is not likely to make many changes to the XI that started the famous win over Aberdeen in the previous round, with fourth-round hero Jordan Kirkpatrick expected to retain his place in the side.
Falkirk also made a handful of signings in January, with young goalkeeper Brian Kinnear joining on loan from West Ham United and right-back Blaine Rowe arriving on loan from Coventry City.
Top scorer Callumn Morrison has racked up 12 goals and six assists this term, so he will support striker Rumarn Burrell, who has registered 10 goals across all competitions.
Truesdale; Meechan, Eadie, Meggatt, McGowan; Robertson, McShane; Truesdale, Caldwell, Kirkpatrick; MacKenzie
Morrison; Rowe, McKay, Mackie, McCann; Yeats, McGinn, Henderson, Morrison; Burrell, Allan
No one is injured from both the teams. Every player will be the part of this match.
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats, suggests the most likely outcome of this match is a Falkirk win with a probability of 42.39%. A win for Darvel has a probability of 34.48% and a draw has a probability of 23.1%.
The most likely scoreline for a Falkirk win is 1-2 with a probability of 8.77%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome are 0-1 (6.67%) and 0-2 (5.73%). The likeliest Darvel win is 2-1 (7.82%), while for a drawn scoreline it is 1-1 (10.2%).
The game will be broadcast on Viaplay Sports 1 and streamed live on Viaplay app in the United Kingdom (UK). In India, there will be neither telecast nor live streaming of the game.
Darvel vs Falkirk a great match to watch, Darvel will win.