Melniks Makes Debut in Scotland with League Cup Defeat
Latvian international Kirils Melniks made his first appearance for Falkirk, playing the second half in a 1-0 loss to Ayr United in the Scottish League Cup.
Falkirk, which surprisingly finished sixth in the Scottish Premiership last season after returning to the top flight, began the new campaign on Saturday with a convincing 5-0 win over fourth-tier minnows Edinburgh in the League Cup group stage. On Tuesday, however, they suffered a painful 0-1 defeat against Ayr United, a team from a lower division and a key rival for top spot in the group. The only goal came in the first half. Falkirk pushed for an equalizer but Ross MacIver missed a penalty in the 86th minute, which would have forced a shootout for an extra point.
Latvian defender Kirils Melniks was included in the matchday squad for the first time and entered after the first half, playing the entire second half. He created a dangerous long throw and headed over the bar. Melniks' debut came in a losing effort, but he showed promise.
The Scottish League Cup features 45 teams; five European participants start in the round of 16, while the other 40 are split into eight groups. Group winners and three best runners-up advance. Falkirk will play a friendly on Saturday against Belgian side Genk and continue their League Cup campaign on July 21 against Alloa Athletic and July 25 against Stranraer. The Premiership season starts on August 1 with a home match against St. Mirren.
