The blustery conditions didn’t blow Talbot off course as the Bot extended their winning run with a 2-0 victory over Hurlford that sees the Bot climb to 5th in the table.

Talbot nearly made a dream start. In the 2nd minute Schoneville fed it out to Boyd on the wing and he whipped the perfect cross over to find Gillies in the centre but his header flew just the wrong side of Wilson’s right hand post.

The next chance also came Talbot’s way. A ricochet in the Ford half bounced kindly for McAvoy who burst in behind down the left before angling a shot across goal and wide of the left hand post.

It was pretty much all Talbot and the visitors defence did well in the 12th minute when Thomson fired in a dangerous cross off the right that was headed clear.

Paul McKenzie became the first name in the ref’s book when he received a caution for a late challenge of Boyle in the 14th minute and he skated with an early trip to the clubhouse when he fouled Schoneville minutes later but the ref didn’t produce a 2nd yellow.

In the 19th minute Gillies got in behind down the left. His first ball in was blocked and came back to him and this time he fired a half-volley on target that was held by Wilson.

Despite having dominated proceedings Talbot hadn’t turned it into goals and they nearly paid the price on the half hour mark. Whittaker chipped it in behind the defence to find Morrison down the left of the box. He tried to prod it inside the near post but Glavin was there to make the block.

The opener came in the 33rd minute. A quickly taken shy down the left caught Hurlford flat footed and McAvoy sped down the wing before cutting it across the face of goal where EWAN THOMSON turned it home from close range.

Two minutes later Thomson nearly grabbed his 2nd of the afternoon. Talbot won a corner down the right which the defence could only clear out as far as Thomson at the edge of the box. He cut inside on his left foot and drilled a low shot that had the keeper beaten but slipped just past the left post.

In the 42nd minute Morrison became the 2nd Ford player cautioned when he was shown yellow for a trip on Boyle. Talbot kept pushing but had to content themselves with a single goal lead at the break

The Bot nearly gifted Hurlford an early equaliser moments into the 2nd half. Schoneville’s back pass to Glavin was a bit short and when Glavin cleared under pressure from Marc McKenzie it hit off the Hurlford man but fortunately flew wide of goal.

Talbot then had a chance down the other end. Thomson had Boyd free to his left but opted for the shot which was blocked by a defender and ran through harmlessly to the keeper.

Ali Boyle became the first Talbot player booked when he picked up a yellow after 49 mins.

A minute later Talbot were almost in on goal. A ball up the right was headed into the path of McAvoy who was well tackled just as he was about to hit it. The ball broke wide to Thomson whose shot was deflected behind for the corner.

On the hour mark Hurlford made a change with T Anderson coming on for Morrison.

In the 62nd minute Frew received a caution for a foul on Boyd. Langan took the resultant free kick and flighted it into the box where McPherson got his head to it but it lacked the power to test the keeper.

Talbot had the ball in the net again in the 65th minute but it was chalked off due to a terrible decision by the assistant ref. A ball down the right found Thomson racing free, well onside and he carried on before pulling it back for Boyd to tap it home but the flag had went up and the referee went with his assistant’s decision.

Talbot made their first change of the afternoon in the 69th minute when Armstrong came on in place of Boyle.

A minute later the match officials again appeared to get an offside call wrong. Armstrong showed quick feet down the left to get away from his man before stroking a reverse pass through to McAvoy who was harshly pulled up for offside.

Hurlford had seen a bit more of the ball in the 2nd half but hadn’t been productive with it on an afternoon when they offered very little going forward. They had a half chance with quarter of an hour remaining when a corner was only cleared out into the path of Paul McKenzie outside the area but he fired well wide of the left hand post.

Tucker now made a double switch with Glasgow & Wardrope coming on for McAvoy & Langan.

Boyd had a chance to double Talbot’s lead in the 79th minute. A shy down the right was met by Glasgow who flicked it into the path of Boyd who blazed his shot over the bar.

A minute later Talbot gave the ball away cheaply just inside the Ford half and as they broke up field Slooves took one for the team, receiving a caution as he halted their advance. Whittaker took the resultant free kick from 30 yards but his shot hit Thomson’s one-man wall and ran tamely through to Glavin.

In the 83rd minute Talbot came close to adding a 2nd. Firstly Glasgow’s low drive was blocked by Wilson and the ball then spun out to the left where Gillies hammered a shot from a tight angle that the keeper turned behind for a corner.

With 5 minutes remaining Talbot got the goal needed to settle any nerves. Wardrope’s ball over the top saw CONNOR BOYD race in on goal and he slotted it past the advancing Wilson to make it 2-0

As the game moved into added time Talbot twice came close to adding to their lead. Glasgow sped down the right and played it across the face of goal toward Gillies who would have had a tap in but for Miller who managed to get back and turn it behind for the corner. When the corner came in Slooves met it unopposed but headed over the crossbar.

A thoroughly deserved win for Talbot in testing conditions. Next up it’s back to cup duty when Talbot host Craigmark Burntonians in the West next Saturday.

Auchinleck Talbot – Glavin, McPherson, Schoneville, Slooves, Wilson, Langan, Boyle, Gillies, Boyd, McAvoy, Thomson

Subs – Smith, Glasgow, Wardrope, Urquhart, Armstrong, McCracken, Henry (gk)

Hurlford United – Wilson, Miller, Lidington, Frew, R Love, Hughes, P McKenzie, Whittaker, Mullen, M McKenzie, Morrison

Subs – A Love, Watt, B Anderson, T Anderson, Kerr, McKnight, Taylor (gk)