Report

LATE GOAL SAVES TALBOT’S BLUSHES

Report: Murray Steele, Photography: Craig McGhee, Media: Ross Newlands.

Talbot snatched a point from the jaws of defeat with a late, late leveller on a disappointing afternoon at Beechwood.

The Bot made the worst possible start – falling behind to a soft goal with only 4 minutes on the clock.

Clark blocked McGuire’s cross behind for a corner kick and when it came over to the back post Armour opted to punch it rather than try to gather it in. His punch sailed straight out to McKinlay in space at the edge of the area and he steered a half-volley goalwards which TURAY headed home from close range.

Talbot tried to respond and had an effort on target 2 minutes later. Clark slid the ball through to find Boyle on the right of the area and his powerful strike was palmed away by Maliska.

The Bot had a chance to level in the 11^th minute. Nimmo fed it out right to find Sime inside the area and his low ball across the face of goal was met by Nimmo a few yards out but Maliska got down to smother it.

Talbot then had a spell sitting in the Benburb half – forcing a few corners – but without really troubling the Benburb goal.

The visitors threatened again in the 21^st minute when Armour flapped at a cross from the right, with the ball sailing across to the back post where Clark stretched to put it behind.

Benburb had to make an enforced change in the 24^th minute with E Clark leaving to be replaced by Bow.

Talbot again pressed but with no real end product and down the other end Schoneville did well to cut out McKinlay’s dangerous low cross.

On the half hour mark Halliday lifted a long ball over the top to find Turay racing into the area. He had a wrestling match with Schoneville with the Bens bench appealing loudly for a penalty and the ref deeming it six of one and half a dozen of the other and waving play on to the relief of the home support.

Two minutes later Talbot put together a good move when Langan switched play out to the left to find Gillies. He tapped it on for Kerr on the overlap and his low cross was bundled behind for the corner. When the corner came over the defence failed to clear their lines and it broke to Sime whose low drive looked net bound but was blocked by a defender in the goal mouth.

In the 39^th minute Benburb came close to a second with a touch of good fortune. McGuire played a ball across the area that broke out to the edge of the box. It fell to McKinlay who was challenged as he went to hit it and the ball ricocheted off him and arrowed on target where Armour got down low to his left to make the stop.

Talbot’s next attack saw Sime cut it back to find Langan 18 yards out and his shot was well saved by Maliska.

The half ended with the visitors in the ascendancy. Wilson conceded a free kick 30 yards out which Smith took and he curled his shot over the bar. Armour played the goal kick short to Wilson who was caught in possession with Talbot conceding a corner but fortunately no harm came of it and the half-time whistle saw Talbot troop in a goal behind.

Talbot made 2 changes during the interval with Kerr & Boyle making way for McPherson & Wardrope with Schoneville moving to left-back.

A minute after the restart Talbot came close to drawing level. The Bot won a corner down the right and when Wardrope swept it over it was met by McPherson who hit it into the turf and it skipped up and just over the bar.

In the 55^th minute Talbot won a free kick 22 yards out after Nimmo was wrestled to the ground. Wardrope shoved it wide of the wall to find Schoneville who fired it low into the near post where it was cleared.

Three minutes later Sime turned inside the penalty area and fired on target but his shot lacked the power to test the keeper.

On the hour mark Schoneville played it down the left wing to find McAvoy who forced a corner. The corner was delivered to the back post where a Bens defender headed over his own bar. When the 2^nd corner came over from the right the defence failed to clear and it came to Clark on the left of the area who won another corner. Once again it was lifted into the back post but this time the defence managed to head it clear.

In the 64^th minute the visitors had a half chance following a series of lost 50/50s in the middle in the park. The ball was hooked through to find Turay in the area but he was forced wide by McPherson and his low shot didn’t trouble Armour.

A minute later Benburb won a free kick out on the right. McGuire angled it across the penalty area where McPherson had to head it behind.

Clark became the first name in the ref’s notebook when he was cautioned in the 66^th minute. A short pass by Wardrope left him 2^nd favourite and he caught his man a fraction a late.

Talbot now made another double change with Nimmo & Langan making way for Abed & Thomson.

The change nearly paid off straight away as Thomson fed the ball right to find Wardrope in the penalty area. He hit it 1^st time looking to catch Malaski stranded off his line but his shot flew at the keeper.

With quarter of an hour remaining McDonald came on in place of Turay for the visitors.

In the 78^th minute Abed broke down the left and Halliday had to slide it behind to concede the corner. When the corner came in McPherson rushed in to meet it only for a defender to nick it off his head at the last second.

Down the other end Talbot then had a lucky escape. A low ball in from the right was only partially cleared by Clark and it came to McDonald 15 yards out. He scuffed his shot but it ended up a good pass to McKinlay who fired it well wide of the right post from 8 yards out.

With 82 mins gone Benburb made a double change with McWilliams & McGuire making way for Fraser & Bell.

Two minutes later Clark swung a cross in from the right that overhit everyone in the centre but Schoneville latched onto it to force a corner down the left. The corner over was met by McPherson who glanced a header wide of the far post.

The Bot had a glorious chance to equalise in the 87^th minute. Abed angled a low ball in off the left. A defender slipped in the centre and the ball came across to McAvoy in space 12 yards out but he blazed his shot over the bar.

A minute later Schoneville raced down the left and drilled a low ball into the goal mouth that the defence managed to clear. It came out to Wardrope 18 yards out who switched it onto his right foot and hammered a shot on target that Maliska parried away with Halliday then putting it behind for Talbot’s umpteenth corner of the 2^nd half. Wardrope lifted it to the back post where McAvoy got his head to it but it went wide of target.

The game appeared to have slipped away when Talbot produced an equaliser 3 minutes into added time. Clark hoisted a long diagonal ball forward which McPherson managed to head on. McAvoy won the 2^nd header and sent it left to find TAREK ABED who dinked a header over the keeper to make it 1-1 and gain Talbot a point.

Not a great day at the office for Talbot who were far from their best. Next week it’s back to Beechwood where Talbot host Gartcairn in the league.

Auchinleck Talbot – Armour, Clark, Kerr, Schoneville, Wilson, Langan, Boyle, Gillies, McAvoy, Nimmo, Sime

Subs – Thomson, Abed, Wardrope, Walker, Miller, McPherson, Cameron (gk)

Benburb – Maliska, Halliday, E Clark, Giovanazzi, Taylor, Urquhart, McKinlay, McWilliams, Turay, Smith, McGuire

Subs – Fraser, McDonald, Watt, Bell, A Taylor, Bow, Hay (gk)