Report

Match Report by Murray

Twice Talbot took the lead in this William Hill Scottish tie but both times let it slip and so have it all to do again next Saturday at Beechwood.
The pace of the game was frantic from the start but endeavour failed to translate into goal mouth action. The first real threat came in the 7th minute. Ferris played a ball down the right channel for the run of Connolly but he was easily brushed off the ball just inside the area and it ran through to Leishman.
Talbot were forcing a few corners but weren’t getting any joy out of the home defence and it wasn’t until the 13th minute that the Bot put together a decent passage of play. Pope knocked a good ball inside into the feet of Milliken who laid it off to Shankland whose drive from the edge of the box was blocked by a defender.
BSC were content to sit deep and look to use their pace on the counter and it nearly paid off for them in the 23rd minute. Talbot were attacking until Young’s slack lay off surrendered possession and the home side swiftly broke through Connolly. He raced up the left but chose the wrong option, having a dig from 25 yards that flew well over the bar, when he had two team mates in acres of space to his right.
The opening goal came Talbot’s way in the 27th minute. Bembo’s attempted clearance was blocked and it spun out left to Milliken and he raced forward into the area. He fired a low drive at the near post which Moore blocked but Milliken gathered the rebound and crossed to the back post where SHANKLAND ran onto it to angle a shot into the back of the net.
Going behind spurred on the home side and McKinnon had a half chance to pull them level within a minute of the re-start. The Bot defence were guilty of not playing to the whistle & as they appealed for a shy, play raged on and Ferris hooked the ball across to the left where McKinnon was in space. Fortunately for Talbot his 1st touch was poor and by the time he went to strike it he’d been closed down.
Talbot surrendered the lead in cheap fashion in the 31st minute, following an uncharacteristic error by White. He was woefully short with an attempted backpass and CONNOLLY took full advantage of the gift, racing onto it and steering the ball past the advancing Leishman into the empty net.
Talbot’s most effective out was the ball over the top to Milliken and he got in behind the defence in the 35th minute. He lobbed a high cross to the back post which fell into the path of Hyslop but it came to him at an awkward height and he volleyed it wide of target from 8 yards.
The woodwork came to Bronsky’s rescue in the 40th minute. Pope fired a great cross over from the touchline which BSC’s centre half sliced onto the outside of the right post when attempting to clear. Pope took the resultant corner and lifted it to the far post where McGoldrick headed it over.
The Bot were enjoying a good spell and had the home defence under pressure a minute later. Young whipped a dangerous cross in from the right which Moore came for and missed, with Carnwath sweeping it behind for the corner.
In the 44th minute Leishman launched a long ball down the left in behind the defence. Wilson hared after it but Bembo stretched out a leg to deflect it high over his own bar. Pope swung the corner to the back post where Campbell met it. He headed it back into the mix and MILLIKEN met it with his back to goal and turned to hook it home to restore Talbot’s lead.
Talbot’s tails were up and they had a further two efforts at goal within injury time. Firstly, Young sent Milliken away on the left but from a tight angle his low shot was easily saved by Moore. Then, in the final action of the half, Wilson spurned a glorious chance to put Talbot firmly in control. Young got free on the right and cut it back across goal where Wilson met it on the volley, but from 8 yards out he volleyed over the bar.
Both sides emerged unchanged for the 2nd half and Talbot continued as they’d left off; on the attack. Hyslop swept a good pass behind the defence for Milliken to chase but he was just beaten to the ball by Moore.
Shankland should then have put Talbot two clear. Pope fed the ball down the line to Milliken and he lifted a superb early ball into the centre to pick out Shankland in front of goal but he volleyed it wide of Moore’s right post.
McKinnon had a decent, if unorthodox, effort at goal for BSC in the 51st minute. They won a free kick out on the left that was floated into the box. It was cleared out toward McKinnon who swerved an up & under looping effort that dropped just over the crossbar.
One minute later McKinnon tested Leishman from 30 yards when he hammered a full-blooded shot on target but it went straight at Leishman who held it comfortably.
Play then immediately switched to the other end as Wilson cut in smartly from the right and drilled a low shot on target that Moore only parried but was able to smother at the 2nd attempt.
McGoldrick then went on one of his trademark lung busting runs which ended with his attempted cross sailing just over the bar at the back post to the relief of Moore.
Talbot’s next threat came after 62 minutes. Wilson sped away down the right wing before clipping the ball square to find Shankland inside the area. He looked to have the time & space to go for goal but didn’t fancy it on his left peg & instead passed it back out right to Wilson who lobbed a shot over the bar.
This was Shankland’s last involvement as he made way for Latta and BSC also took the opportunity to make a change with Cameron coming on for McKinnon.
The fate of the tie was likely to hinge on the next goal and Hyslop had a half chance to swing it Talbot’s way in the 68th minute. Young fired over a great early cross that found him running onto in the centre but the ball wouldn’t sit down for him & he sent his volley over the crossbar.
BSC made two further changes in quick succession as firstly Johnston came on for Traynor and then McDougall replaced Connolly.
The substitutions galvanised the home side and Johnston had a decent crack at goal in the 76th minute. The Bot midfield was slow to react to a loose ball outside the area allowing him the space to fire a shot wide of the left post from 25 yards out.
The equaliser came in the 80th minute. Moore’s clearance came off the head of Lyle and flew behind for a corner kick on the left. It was delivered at pace across the 6-yard area where Johnston glanced a header to the back post for CAMERON to head home from close range.
Talbot won a set piece in a dangerous area with 5 minutes to go when Wilson was up ended 30 yards out. He opted to hit it himself but slipped on the run up and mis-hit it into the wall. It rebounded kindly for Milliken but his shot was blocked.
The Bot were pushing flat out for a late winner but nearly came undone with two minutes remaining. Talbot were attacking down the left but when Milliken lost out in a challenge, BSC were quick to launch a counter-attack. A long ball was knocked up the centre to find McDougall deep in the Talbot half. He ran at the defence and tried to slip a pass through for Ferris but it was a touch too heavy and Leishman was quickly off his line to take it.
In the final minute of regulation time Tucker made his 2nd switch when White went down with cramp and Steven Wilson came on in his place.
Talbot kept pushing forward but time had run out and so both sides will square off again next Saturday at Beechwood, where Talbot will be looking to make home advantage count.

BSC – Moore, A Bembo, Ramsay, Home, Bronsky, Carnwath, Ferris, Gray, Connolly, McKinnon, Traynor

Subs – Dryden, McDougall, E Bembo, Johnston, Cameron, Wilton (gk)
Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, McGoldrick, Campbell, White, Young, Hyslop, Milliken, G Wilson, Shankland

Subs – Gillies, Latta, Findlay, Love, Cochrane, S Wilson, Johnstone (gk0