Report

MURRAYS MATCH REPORT
It was honours even as Talbot & Beith shared 4 goals in this Scottish Cup preliminary round tie; leaving both sides to face off again next Saturday at Beechwood.
Talbot were shooting down the slope in the 1st half & it was the Bot who made the early running. The first effort at goal came when Lyle gathered Pope’s cross out on the right touchline. He fed it inside to Millken whose low drive went wide of target.
Milliken did hit the target soon after. He skipped past Sheridan down the left & fired at goal, but the keeper was well positioned & made a comfortable stop.
Talbot were temporarily reduced to 10 men in the 9th minute when Latta fell awkwardly after being fouled by McGlinchey. He went off for treatment on his shoulder but couldn’t continue & in the 12th minute Stevenson came on in his place.
This was a physically bruising encounter with neither side being afforded any time on the ball & more tackles being made than passes played.
McGlinchey came to the home side’s rescue in the 24th minute. Steven Wilson battled well to win the ball out on the right & looked to be fouled just outside the area. The ball broke loose to Stevenson who swept a dangerous low ball across goal that McGlinchey hooked clear inside the 6-yard area.
A minute later Milliken ought to have put Talbot ahead. Wilson sped away from Sheridan down the right before sweeping an early ball across the area. Milliken ran onto it but from 15 yards out he hoisted his shot over Grindlay’s crossbar.
Beith then came close at the other end. Christie managed to get on the end of McGlinchey’s deep cross & succeeded in heading it back for McLean but he fired wide of the right post from a good area.
Hyslop came close for Talbot in the 40th minute. Young squared the ball inside for him & he drilled a low shot just past the right post with Grindlay beaten.
With a minute of normal time remaining McGoldrick was in the right spot to block Wilson’s low strike from just outside the area as it headed goal wards.
Talbot took the lead in the 45th minute. Young sent Milliken free down the left & he returned it into the centre where YOUNG volleyed home to make it 1-0.
It looked like Talbot would head in a goal to the good at the break but Beith had other ideas and they drew level two minutes into injury time. McGoldrick headed a cross clear but it only came out to WILSON who managed to evade the challenge of Young before slotting a low shot inside the right post from 20 yards to make it 1-1.
With the advantage of the slope & the fillip of their late equaliser, Beith came out strongly at the start of the 2nd half and soon had Talbot under pressure.
McLean passed up a decent chance in the 49th minute. He beat offside to break free on the right but hit a tame shot at goal that Leishman easily saved.
Tucker made a switch in the 50th minute with Graham Wilson replacing his brother Steven.
McGlinchey tested Leishman in the 55th minute from 25 yards; drilling a low shot on goal that Leishman held.
Talbot created a half chance in the 58th minute. Wilson ran onto a ball in behind the defence & did well to hook it back across goal. Stevenson ran onto it & climbed above Docherty to get his head on it but his header went wide of the left post.
Sheridan had his name taken in the 61st minute. Wilson laid the ball down for Milliken who was breaking away from Beith’s centre half until wrestled to the ground.
Route one nearly paid off for Beith in the 65th minute. Grindlay’s long ball down the centre skimmed off the top of McGoldrick’s head & McLean raced onto it inside the area. He flicked it over Leishman but lifted it wide of the left post.
Beith took the lead in the 69th minute with a well-worked goal. Docherty started and finished the move; playing it out wide left to find McGowan on the touchline & when he slid it across the area DOCHERTY coolly passed the ball into the net.
Playing against the slope & a goal behind, it was literally an uphill struggle for Talbot & Beith were looking comfortable in their lead.
White had his name taken in the 78th minute for a shove on McLean and two minutes later McLean joined him in the notebook for a foul on Pope.
With time running out Tucker decided to throw caution to the wind, replacing Boyle with Pooler as Talbot went with three up front.
In the 84th minute Milliken raced free of the Beith defence down the right & fired a dangerous ball across goal but there was no support in front of goal to take advantage.
A minute later Talbot won a free kick just outside the Beith penalty area for a foul on Milliken. Young flighted it to the back post where Docherty headed it away but he got no distance on it & it fell for POPE who buried a shot inside the right post to level the score.
The final 5 minutes were nerve wracking for both sets of supporters. Firstly, Beith came close to snatching it when McLaughlin cushioned a header across goal from a corner. It came to Docherty but the ball broke off him & ran through to Leishman.
Down the other end, Milliken had a half chance to snatch a late winner when he burst into the box but he delayed his shot & the chance was lost.
As the game headed into injury time Beith won a couple of set pieces in the Bot half, allowing them to thrown the ball into the area but on both occasions Pope headed the ball away to safety.
Beith is never an easy place to visit, and most Talbot fans would have settled for a replay prior to the match. Now both sides will face off for the third time in a row with Talbot hoping for a similar outcome to the recent Ardagh semi-final at Beechwood.

Beith – Grindlay, MacDonald, Docherty, McLaughlin, Sheridan, Wilson, McGlinchey, Frize, McLean, Christie, McGowan
Subs – Collins, Watt, Burke, McPherson, Fisher, Martin, McBain (gk)

Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, McGoldrick, Boyle, Latta, White, Hyslop, S Wilson, Milliken, Young
Subs – Stevenson, Pooler, Harvey, G Wilson, McCracken, Hewitt (gk)