DAVID MCCRACKEN is confident Falkirk will benefit from their cup clash with Rangers and use the 4-0 defeat as a learning experience.

The Bairns couldn’t add their names to the list of shock winners in the Betfred Cup this weekend as they were brushed aside by Steven Gerrard’s side on Sunday.

Goals from Jermain Defoe, Calvin Bassey, Borna Barisic and James Tavernier clinched a comfortable victory for the Light Blues as they maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign.

Falkirk equipped themselves well in stages, however, and co-manager McCracken reckons there are positives to take from the fixture.

He said: “Listen, we have to be realistic. Rangers are playing at a level a lot of teams can’t compete with right now.

“We’re a few tiers below so the scoreline was no disgrace. We’ll take the positives, learn from it and take that in to our league campaign.

“We have learned a lot, that’s for sure. The goals we gave away were disappointing as it was stuff we’d worked on through the week.

“We didn’t get in to the game properly, losing one that early.

“It was encouraging to see how the boys wanted to keep taking the ball, they never hid away from it. Although it’s a 4-0, we will definitely take the positives.

“We changed our shape slightly but we did encourage our wide players to get on the ball. Unfortunately we couldn’t get Cal Morrison in to the game more.

“We had a couple of opportunities, but just didn’t take them. Those are the kind of chances you need to take to get back in to the game.”