Falkirk secured their first Scottish Premiership win of the season with a 2-1 victory over Hearts at Falkirk Stadium on Wednesday 16 September 2026. Owen Eames scored the decisive goal in the 68th minute, capitalising on a mistake from Hearts captain Harry Milne to end Hearts' nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions.
James Wilson had cancelled out Ben Krauhaus's early opener for the hosts, but Eames' strike earned the Bairns a first league win at the sixth attempt. Hearts, who had won each of their previous six domestic matches, were hoping to climb into second place but produced a poor performance that manager Wouter Vrancken described as "not good enough".
Falkirk boss John McGlynn named the same side that drew 1-1 at Dundee United. Hearts, dealing with a spate of midfield injuries, gave Yan Dhanda his first start in 16 months. Josh McPake and Wilson, both included in the Scotland squad earlier in the day, were restored after being rotated for Friday's Premier Sports Cup win at Stenhousemuir.
Referee John Beaton, officiating his first Hearts match since controversially awarding Celtic a penalty against Motherwell in May, was baited by the Hearts support as he led the teams out. He cautioned Falkirk midfielder Finley Barbrook for a foul on Dhanda with just over two minutes played.
Falkirk took the lead in the eighth minute when captain Brad Spencer sprayed a pass to the right, allowing Ryan Strain to cut the ball back for Krauhaus, who fired home from 10 yards. Hearts equalised from their first chance in the 22nd minute, as McPake skinned Strain on the left of the box and slid a low delivery across for Wilson to tap in from close range. A minute later, the same combination almost produced a second, but Wilson blazed over from 15 yards.
Falkirk had a great chance to restore their lead on the half hour when Eames got clear in the Hearts box but opted to square instead of shooting, and Stuart Findlay scrambled the ball behind. Hearts sent on JJ Williams for Wilson at the start of the second half. Four minutes after the break, Barbrook was denied by Beau Reus after Jacob Murrell teed him up 12 yards out. At the other end, Williams and Calvin Miller both saw close-range efforts saved by Scott Bain, who was also in the Scotland squad.
Eames and Murrell then spurned big chances before the hosts regained the lead in the 68th minute. Milne played a risky pass from left-back towards centre-back Jamie McCart, and Eames intercepted, drove forward and fired a low shot in off Reus's right-hand post from just inside the box.
Hearts boss Wouter Vrancken said: "Poor performance, simple. How we started the game, with miscommunication, not enough concentration, too easy in the back and then we were too slow to get back into our organisation, it was not good enough."
