Talbot will face Largs Thistle at Broadwood in the West of Scotland final after a penalty shoot-out triumph over Thorniewood.

The Bot made the early running forcing a couple of corner early on.

In the 6th minute Schoneville drilled a good low ball in off the left that found Boyd 8 yards out with his back to goal. He turned smartly & fired it on target but it flew straight at Stafford.

A minute later Talbot passed up a decent chance to take the lead. A free kick wide on the left was played short by Schoneville to Gillies. He swept over a cross which Boyd met 6 yards out but he got his angles wrong and headed wide of target.

Talbot kept pressing and Wardrope tested the keeper with an effort from 20 yards that Stafford held.

Nolan had his name taken in the 9th minute for a foul on Boyd.

At this stage it was all Talbot and in the 11th minute Wardrope drove forward before releasing it out wide left to find Gillies. He angled it across the face of goal where Thomson was waiting at the back post for a tap in but Stafford did well to get down to cut it out.

The Bot’s next attack saw Boyd charge down Duncan’s attempted clearance before feeding it on to McAvoy. He burst into the area but was challenged as he went to hit it and it went behind for the corner. When Wardrope’s corner was swung in Sideserf made a good clearing header.

For all Talbot’s dominance they didn’t have a goal to show for it and were given a fright in the 20th minute when Macdonald squared the ball across off the right to find James 20 yards out and he powered a right foot shot just wide of the left post.

Two mins later Talbot won another corner when Boyd’s attempted cross was blocked behind. When the corner came into the goal mouth the defence were only able to clear it out into the path of Sime whose strike from 16 yards looked to be net bound but was blocked en route by a defender.

In the 24th minute the visitors won a corner when Forbes lifted a dangerous ball over the top which McPherson had to head behind. When the corner came into the near post Gillies headed it to safety.

A minute later Talbot had a half chance down the other end. Gillies curled a cross beyond the far post to pick out McAvoy who guided his header back on target but Stafford was well positioned to claim it.

With 27 mins played McAvoy had another opportunity to give Talbot the lead. He went up to meet a Wardrope corner from the left and when the ball broke loose following the aerial duel he reacted first – firing a left foot shot wide of the right hand post.

Soon after Talbot won a free kick 25 yards out from goal after a foul on Thomson. Wardrope took it but his shot sailed over the bar.

It had largely been one-way traffic but the visitors came within a whisker of taking the lead in the 32nd minute. Kalala cut inside off the left wing into the penalty area and his effort at goal was well saved by Armour. The rebound sailed to the back post where Duncan looked a cert to score but Schoneville managed to clear his effort off the line.

Down the other end a Talbot break saw McAvoy race into the box down the left but his low drive failed to trouble the keeper.

Moments later McAvoy got his head on a Schoneville cross but he couldn’t generate the power to test Stafford.

Five mins before the break Talbot came close to the breakthrough. Schoneville whipped over a good cross which McAvoy headed just wide of the left hand post.

A minute before the interval McAvoy dispossessed Carswell just outside the area. He had Boyd free to his right but opted to go for goal and pulled his shot wide of target and so the sides trooped off goal less after the first 45.

Talbot started the 2nd half as though they meant business. Within a minute of the restart Thomson got free down the left and hit it low into the near post where a defender managed to block it behind for a corner. The corner was worked short and back to Sime at the edge of the area who saw his shot at goal charged down. It spun to Wardrope who delivered a great cross beyond the far post where McAvoy met it to power a header on target that produced a top class save from Stafford who managed to keep it out at his left hand post.

In the 49th minute Talbot came even closer. Thomson got free down the right and crossed it into the near post to McAvoy. His header came off the inside of the post and ran across the face of goal where Boyd was waiting but it came just behind him and the defence were able to scramble clear. Thorniewood now made a change with Kindlan on in place of Leighton.

Talbot’s pressure paid off in the 55th minute when they took the lead. McPherson played it down the left wing to pick out Schoneville whose cross was met by CONNOR BOYD who glanced it beyond Stafford to put Talbot ahead.

Two mins later Gillies nearly found McAvoy on the right of the area but he was just beaten to it by the keeper.

With 58 mins on the clock Talbot made a change with Nimmo on for Boyd.

The Bot’s next attack saw Gillies whip over a dangerous cross from the left flank which Duncan made a hash of clearing. Nimmo tried to get on the end of his mishit clearance in front of goal but was marginally late in the challenge.

On the hour mark Talbot had a decent chance to double their lead. In a carbon copy of the first goal Schoneville swept a cross into the near post where it was met by Nimmo but he glanced his header wide of the far post.

In the 62nd minute Thorniewood won a free kick out on the left touchline. Forbes delivered it into the centre where it skipped off a head and came out wide to Macdonald who failed to hit the target.

A minute later Talbot again came agonisingly close to a 2nd – this time quite literally in the case of Sideserf. Nimmo angled a good cross over from the left of the area that was headed clear at the back post. It came out to Wardrope who arrowed a volley on target that had the keeper well beaten but hit Sideserf where it hurts.

In the 65th minute McAvoy’s header on sent Nimmo clear down the right. He raced into the area but his final effort lacked the power to trouble the goalie.

Within a minute Talbot came close again. Nimmo won a corner down the left that was taken short and back to Wardrope. He floated a great cross over that was just missed in the centre by a number of Talbot players before curling behind for a goal kick.

In the 68th minute the visitors had an effort on target. A shy from the right was squared across Kindlan toward Forbes whose low drive from 22 yards was held by Armour.

With 20 mins remaining McPherson picked up a yellow card for handball on the halfway line.

In the 72nd minute a shy from the left found Thomson and he managed to turn his man before curling a shot on target that Stafford tipped over the bar.

A minute later Nimmo met a ball over from the right but headed wide of target.

In the 74th minute a ball up the right found James running in behind. He made it to the bye line before floating a dangerous ball across goal which McPherson sliced just wide of the far post. When the corner came in from the left it was glanced toward goal and McAvoy popped up with a goal line clearance. James was then cautioned for dissent.

With quarter of an hour to go the visitors levelled. FORBES met it 40 yards out and hit a daisy cutter that flew past Armour and inside the left post to make it 1-1.

Both sides now made a change with Boyle replacing Thomson for Talbot and Archer on for Kindlan.

With Talbot chasing a late winner it left them vulnerable on the counter and the visitors gave the home fans a fright in the 82nd minute. A ball over the top found Macdonald in behind down the left. He raced into the area but his shot was saved at his near post by Armour. The rebound came out to James 15 yards out who tried to pass it in but his effort was blocked.

In the 84th minute Sime had his name taken for a challenge on Forbes. Talbot made their final change with Abed on for Wardrope.

With one minute remaining Miller replaced Macdonald for Thorniewood and was promptly booked for a late challenge on Sime.

Talbot had pressed hard in the final 10 mins for a late winner but it wasn’t to be and the game went to spot kicks. Thorniewood won the toss and Forbes stepped up to take the first penalty only to see his effort brilliantly saved by Armour to his left. Talbot failed to take advantage however when McPherson rattled his penalty off the top of the bar and over.

Next up for Thorniewood was Carswell and once again Armour came out on top – saving to his left again.

Schoneville then coolly dispatched his penalty inside the right post to put Talbot ahead before Scott slotted home for Thorniewood.

McAvoy took Talbot’s 3rd and gave the keeper no chance as he lashed it inside the right post. Miller was next up and Armour was unlucky not to make a third save. He guessed right and got his fingertips to it but it had sufficient power to fly into the back of the net.

Sime took Talbot’s 4th penalty – burying it inside the right post to maintain Talbot’s advantage.

It was now effectively sudden death but James showed no nerves as he rattled his penalty into the roof of the net.

It was now down to Tarek Abed and he showed a cool head to send the keeper the wrong way and stroke it home with Talbot winning the shoot-out 4-3.

Talbot should probably have been out of sight long before the equaliser but at the end of the day cup football is all about winning and Talbot made it through – albeit the hard way.

Next up for Talbot it’s a midweek league trip to Townhead to face old rivals Cumnock.

Auchinleck Talbot – Armour, Clark, Schoneville, Wilson, McPherson, Sime, Wardrope, Gillies, Boyd, McAvoy, Thomson

Subs – Nimmo, Abed, Boyle, Mitchell, Langan, Slooves, Kerr

Thorniewood United – Stafford, Duncan, Sideserf, Carswell, Nolan, Leighton, Kalala, Scott, Forbes, James, Macdonald

Subs – Miller, Kindlan, Archer, Breen, Blackshaw, Goldie, Bridges (gk)