IT WAS Bairns against men for 70 minutes.
And it was CELTIC getting a lesson and facing humiliation until a late second half four-goal salvo finally turned the tide and put them into the last four.
Adam Idah and super-sub Nicolas Kuhn each struck doubles to finally break Falkirk’s hearts just as they were beginning to dream of Hampden.
Yet, John McGlynn’s on-song team was ahead at the break courtesy of terrific finishes from Ross MacIver and Finn Yeats, with Paulo Bernardo having netted for toiling Celtic.
It was only when Falkirk got weary, and Brendan Rodgers turned to his big name bench, did a gripping tie finally go the way we’d all expected.
Falkirk lost sub Michael McKenna to a straight red card in injury time.
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The strength of Rodgers’ squad is such that he can now make eight changes to his starting line-up – and still have a team comprising eight full internationals.
It was entirely expected that the Northern Irishman would rotate following the midweek Champions League rout of Slovan Bratislava.
Summer signings Auston Trusty and Alex Valle got their first starts in a defence also including Tony Ralston and Stephen Welsh while Bernardo slotted into midfield ahead of a front three of Luis Palma, Idah and James Forrest.
For Hoops No1 Kasper Schmeichel there was a re-union with the Bairns – the club he starred for in 2007 on loan from Man City when only 20, including a stunning 1-0 victory over Celtic in Falkirk which was the last time they beat the Glasgow giants.
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Falkirk – now 43 league games unbeaten including last season’s League One Invincible campaign – had already knocked out Dundee United and Hearts.
Astute boss and former Celtic first team scout John McGlynn brought in Yeats, 20, as his only change for a daunting challenge.
Championship Falkirk were backed by a loud and proud support which packed a tight away section.
They would have PLENTY to cheer from an outstanding display by their heroes who gave Celtic far more to worry about than anyone else so far this term.
Falkirk started with plenty of composure and confidence, playing out from the back.
But it took a brilliant finger-tip save from ex-Rangers youth Nicky Hogarth to deny Celtic a fourth minute opener – diving full stretch to push away a James Forrest shot to the top corner.
Falkirk from the off were a threat to Celtic’s makeshift back-line, seriously pushing the £6 million Trusty and Barcelona kid Valle who cost a £1 million loan fee – Alfredo Agyeman constantly making life difficult.
And it was the strength of Agyeman which led directly to Falkirk’s 11th minute opener.
Wrestling with Valle for a Dylan Tait cross-field ball, he forced the left-back into a weak clearing header which fell straight to MacIvor 22-yards out – and the front-man promptly unleashed a right-foot low screamer past Schmeichel and inside his near post.
At first sight it looked a possible foul on Valle but VAR official Andrew Dallas wasn’t interested.
Suddenly Celtic were in a game.
Just three minutes later Trusty was at full pelt trying to keep up with the bustling Agyeman who raced clear to a flick on and from 14-yards at an angle sclaffed a shot across goal with Schmeichel diving.
It was a definite chance for two-nil – and eye-catchingly USA star Trusty had toiled to keep up with the Bairns ace.
Celtic hit back with a 21st minute equaliser and it was every bit as tremendous an effort as MacIvor’s.
Valle atoned for his part in Falkirk’s opener with a neat head flick from a Reo Hatate clipped ball which dropped perfectly for Bernardo 14-yards out – and he lashed home a right foot volley.
Normal service resumed for Celtic? Not a chance.
Brilliant Falkirk, far from being out of their depth, merely re-gathered – and attacked their hosts again.
Inspired by their marvellous supporters, they created an opening for Yeats in the box who hit a right foot volley just past with Schmeichel rooted.
Then, the veteran keeper was forced to look lively in holding a close range shot from ex-Celt Calvin Miller.
Celtic were labouring, Falkirk gelling – and the visitors fabulously grabbed the lead again a minute into added time.
Agyeman, again, troubled the vulnerable Valle and swung in a right cross from the bye-line which found an unmarked Yeats who from 12-yards calmly and precisely placed a header back cross goal and into the far corner.
Celtic fans reacted with anger while the non-stop Bairns support partied big-time.
Schmeichel had only conceded two goals in his previous seven matches – all wins – and now here he’d shipped the same in just 46 minutes.
Just as big a tribute to Falkirk – underlining Celtic’s struggle – was that Rodgers felt compelled to bring on his big guns to dig them out of a hole, with £11 million star Arne Engels, Nicolas Kuhn and Greg Taylor among four subs on the hour.
Hyunjun Yang also came on and he quickly forced a Hogarth parry with a rasping shot.
By now it was one-way traffic with Falkirk tiring – and two-goals in as many minutes would shatter them.
Kuhn’s 70th minute ball across the six-yard box was tapped home by Idah and it survived a VAR offside check.
Then the Irish targetman dramatically made it 3-2, taking another Kuhn assist and bursting through the Falkirk defence before side-footing past Hogarth.
It was a breath-taking turnaround.
Nine minutes from the end of normal time Kuhn raced through from an Engels delivery to coolly dink the ball over Hogarth.
Then Kuhn, completing a superb cameo role, claimed a second and Celtic’s fifth in the 84th minute.
It was brutally harsh on Falkirk who still had enough fight to make Schmeichel save a Dylan Tait shot in the final moments.
In the dying seconds Bairns sub Michael McKenna was dismissed for a tackle on Tony Ralston.
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