Bain's standout display puts him back in Scotland's goalkeeping conversation

Falkirk goalkeeper Scott Bain produced a man-of-the-match display against Dundee United on Saturday, making eight saves - many of them outstanding - while also contributing composed distribution from the back. The performance comes at a pivotal moment, with new Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli due to announce his first squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures.

With Craig Gordon having retired and fellow World Cup squad goalkeepers Angus Gunn and Liam Kelly short on recent first-team football, Bain appears well placed to be considered for a recall.

Falkirk manager John McGlynn praised the 34-year-old, saying he ticks every box a modern goalkeeper needs - able to play out from the back, make key saves, and bring calm to the defence. McGlynn said he had no doubt the national team management would be taking notice.

During the match, Bain denied several Dundee United players, including debutants, with a string of key stops that kept his side in contention. Despite the heroic effort, Falkirk were unable to secure their first league win of the season, conceding a stoppage-time header to level the score. Falkirk faced 27 shots in total, nine on target, with Bain saving every one until the late equaliser.

Dundee United's assistant manager also praised Bain's performance, noting he made several excellent saves in the second half.

Bain has now made 44 appearances for Falkirk, keeping 10 clean sheets. Earlier in his career at Celtic, he kept a clean sheet in roughly half of his 78 appearances, while at Dundee he recorded 21 clean sheets across 124 games.

He earned his first Scotland cap against Mexico in June 2018 under then-manager Alex McLeish and has won three further caps since, most recently against Ivory Coast in a pre-World Cup friendly in March, though he was not selected for the finals squad. On current form, Bain will hope his display has strengthened his case for a return under Pocognoli.