PETER Houston reckons Falkirk are firmly on course for a promotion play-off place – if they can keep up their early-season pace.

Houston has set a target of 60 points for the season as they bid to land a top-four spot after agonisingly missing out last term.

That was the total earned by Queen of the South last season as the Doonhamers finished fourth in the table and the Bairns are already well on their way to emulating their Championship rivals.

The Scottish Cup finalists conclude their first quarter of fixtures this evening when they host Hibernian in a match rearranged from September 5.

And, with only one defeat in accumulating 18 points from their opening nine matches, Houston is hopeful for the rest of the campaign.

He said: “We haven’t even completed our first quarter but after the first eight games of the quarter, before Saturday’s win against Morton, we were sitting with 15 points.

“Forgetting about the Hibs game, which finishes the quarter, if we were to take 15 points per quarter then we would take 60 points – and 60 points gets a play-off place.

“Our target is the play-offs. We’re more on target this year than last year, because we were chasing after a poor start.”