Ross County midfielder Stewart Murdoch ready to face former club Falkirk
Stewart Murdoch developed a taste for football on the big stage with former club Falkirk - now he wants to replicate the Bairns' recipe for cup success with new side Ross County.
The 25-year-old started his career out at the Falkirk Stadium and was quickly thrust into the limelight when he first helped them reach the League Cup semi-final in 2012, before reaching the same stage of the William Hill Scottish Cup the following season.
The Scottish Championship side have continued making waves in knockout contests and were only denied a trophy triumph by Inverness when they lost out to Caley Thistle in the final of last season's Scottish Cup.
But now the former Fleetwood and Northampton midfielder is keen to experience those kind of days with the Staggies.
He will face his old team when Falkirk travel to Dingwall for Tuesday's League Cup third round clash and said: "I enjoyed my time at Falkirk. I got to play at Hampden a couple of times in two semi-finals just before I left to go down south.
"They seem to do well in the cups quite regularly and got to the cup final last year.
"It's good for a club to have those kind of experiences and if we can do the same at County and get to the latter stages it would be brilliant."
Murdoch was released by Fleetwood at the end of last season and has struggled to break into Jim McIntyre's side since returning north of the border.
Of his four appearances for County so far, only his run-out against Celtic on the opening day of the Ladbrokes Premiership campaign has come as a start but he hopes to make the most of injuries to Andrew Davies, Craig Curran and Rocco Quinn and grab a slot for the Falkirk tie.
He said: "We've got injuries at the moment so players like myself who have not been in the team so often, it's important that you take your chance.
"Right now though, guys aren't wanting to sit on the physio bench for too long with the team doing so well in the league and I suppose that's only a good thing.
"But the only way you will get better as a player is if you are faced with competition, so I will just give my all and hope my opportunity comes along."
Falkirk are missing defender Kieran Duffie at they look to put the disappointment of losing a stoppage-time equaliser to Alloa on Saturday behind them.
Manager Peter Houston said: "It was a game that we should have won but it felt like a defeat and has taken a bit of the shine off what had been a terrific start to the league season.
"However we need to put it behind us quickly as we face a very tough task at Ross County. We defeated a Premiership side in the last round and will look to do so again."
Source: PAR
