Report

MURRAYS REPORT

Talbot never really got going and can have no real complaints over the result as they went down by a single goal to Largs at Barrfields.

The opening exchanges were high on effort and low on chances with neither keeper being called upon.

Talbot’s first opportunity came in the 17^th minute. Smith gathered on the left of the area and slid it wide to Taylor whose cross to the back post was headed wide by Boyle.

A minute later Largs came close to taking the lead. A ball through the heart of the defence found Sewell racing in on goal and he fired over the bar under pressure from Stafford.

Aiden Wilson had his name taken in the 24^th minute when McLeod’s point-blank ball hit off his arm.

In the 28^th minute a keeper was finally called upon when Smith laid the ball off into the path of Taylor on the left of the penalty area and his low drive was spilled by McGowan before being cleared.

Largs then raced to the other end and took the lead with a well-worked counter-attack. Faulds got free down the left and cut a low ball across the penalty area that landed at the feet of MCGRATH who side-footed home.

The home side should have doubled their lead in the 34^th minute. A ball slid through the centre found Sewell through one on one with the keeper but Andy was quickly off his line to make the block.

A couple of minutes later Samson picked up a caution for a foul out wide on the left.

A minute from the interval Taylor became the 3^rd Talbot player in the book when he received a caution for an aerial challenge on Hughes.

Largs ended the half on the ascendancy as Faulds skipped past Crawford and fired over a dangerous cross that McPherson dived to head behind but nothing came of the corner and the half ended with Largs a goal to the good.

The 2^nd half opened as scrappily as the 1^st had started with neither side making any in roads. In the 54^th minute Talbot won a free kick out wide on the right following a shove on Smith. Ballantyne took it and delivered an inch perfect cross that was met by Samson who saw his header well-saved by McGowan to his left and when Taylor tried to force in the rebound the defence managed to block.

Two minutes later Talbot had a half chance when Crawford’s ball found Samson down the right. He lifted it across beyond the far post where Wilson volleyed it wide.

Action then switched to the other end where Largs nearly added another. Sewell got free on the right of the area and drilled it low across the 6-yard area where Faulds bundled it wide of the near post.

Talbot now made a double switch with Lennox & Ballantyne making way for Armstrong & Wardrope.

Largs had a chance to kill the game off in the 62^nd minute. Armstrong’s clearance from the left-back area was intercepted and squared across to Davidson in space just outside the area but he sent his shot just wide of the left post.

Five minutes later and Largs again came close. A shy from the left wasn’t dealt with and found its way to Sewell whose acrobatic effort was palmed over the bar by Leishman.

Twenty minutes from time Talbot made another double change with Samson & Smith making way for Boylan & Mason.

Talbot’s next attack saw Taylor pace away down the right but his final ball across goal was well cut out as a defender slid in to put it behind for the corner.

The closing 10 minutes saw Talbot huff and puff but without really looking like breaching the Largs defence. In the closing minutes Davidson picked up a late caution for a foul on Wilson and minutes later it was all over.

It’s only a short break for the Bot who are next in action on Friday night when they face Clydebank at Meadow park in the West of Scotland final.

Largs Thistle – McGowan, McLeod, Devine, Hughes, McCreath, Faulds, Martin, Davidson, Sewell, Ramsay, McGrath

Subs – Adam, McMaster, Tennent, Nimmo, Forbes, Walker

Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Crawford, Wilson, McPherson, Stafford, Boyle, Ballantyne, Lennox, Samson, Smith, Taylor

Subs – Mason, Boylan, Park, Armstrong, Wardrope