Arthurlie vs Auchinleck Talbot

Report

Match Report by Murray
Talbot gained a valuable away win at Barrhead, though they made heavy work of seeing off Arthurlie in a bad tempered affair that saw the ref produce 3 red cards.
The first clear opening of the match came Talbot’s way in the 7th minute. White played a good ball out to Young on the left and he slid a dangerous ball across the face of goal which Milliken met in the centre, but he was challenged as he hit it and steered his side-footed effort straight at White.
Both sides were competing fiercely but with play largely concentrated in the middle third, there was little work for either keeper.
Talbot came within a whisker of opening the scoring in the 18th minute. Gillies was nudged in the air 30 yards out and Pope took the resultant free kick, curling a shot past the wall that clipped the left hand post.
Arthurlie threatened the Bot goal in the 21st minute. Palmer whipped in a dangerous low cross which Leishman gathered by the near post.
Two minutes later it was Talbot’s turn to threaten. A shy from the right found Gillies in behind and he cut it back for Young who looked set to stroke it home, only for Gair to stick out a leg to deflect it behind.
Gillies was harshly penalised on the half hour mark. He chased down Lyle’s ball and when White came out his box to clear, Gillies blocked his clearance. The ball spun out wide where Gillies gathered and turned Rushford but as he looked to shoot toward the open net the ref awarded a free kick to Lie, presumably for a foul on Rushford.
White had got lucky on his 1st foray outside the box but he came a cropper in the 35th minute. He came outside his box to beat Gillies to a ball in behind the defence, only for Gair to nod it back toward goal. He threw out an arm to stop it going past him leaving the ref little option but to send him off. There then followed a hold up whilst Lie readied their sub goalie before Cowie came on between the sticks, with Smith the outfield player sacrificed.
Talbot also made a change with Graham Wilson on in place of Gillies.
Cowie’s 1st test was dealing with the free kick White had conceded just outside the penalty area. Pope struck it and Cowie had a lucky escape as the free kick smacked off the inside of his right post and flew back across goal and out for a goal kick.
With the extra man Talbot looked to be in control and were doing most of the pressing but without looking like breaking through.
A minute before half-time Arthurlie almost caught Talbot out on the counter. The Lie defence did well to clear Lyle’s cross at the back post and quickly turned defence to attack as Rushford swept a diagonal ball across to Dallas who out-paced Lyle before drilling a low ball across the box which White cleared.
Milliken tested Cowie in the 45th minute when he cut inside onto his left foot and fired a low shot from 18 yards which the keeper held.
Deep into 1st half injury time the home side were reduced to 9 men. MacDonald was guilty of an outrageous tackle on Hyslop, going over the ball to leave the Bot midfielder writhing on the turf and the ref produced his 2nd red card of the afternoon. Fortunately for Hyslop he wasn’t seriously injured and was able to continue and the sides went in level at the break.
Talbot would’ve been hoping to make the extra men count straight away but made a sluggish start to the 2nd half and the first decent chance of the 2nd period fell Arthurlie’s way. Hyslop conceded a free kick 25 yards out and Dallas rifled it just wide of the right hand post.
Young was unlucky in the 50th minute. Hyslop fed the ball out wide to the overlapping Lyle and his cut back fell nicely for Young whose placed shot looked to be heading in until it hit off a defender and spun behind.
Arthurlie were camped deep in their half, content to let Talbot have the ball where it couldn’t hurt them, and it appeared to be paying off as Talbot enjoyed the lion’s share of possession without making much headway.
On the hour mark, an error from Pope saw him gift the ball to McGlinchey and the home side were able to break down field. The ball was switched out left to Dallas who looked set to burst into the box but McGoldrick did well to make the covering challenge.
In Talbot’s next attack Cowie surrendered a cheap corner when he lost the ball under Milliken’s challenge and Young took it quickly, sending it back to Pope who fired just wide of target.
Arthurlie made a change in the 65th minute when McTernan came on for Dallas and Tucker responded by making a double switch with Stephen Wilson and Shankland replacing Latta & Milliken.
Talbot finally made their possession pay in the 68th minute. Hyslop stabbed a shot on target that Cowie could only parry. The defence couldn’t clear their lines and Young hooked the ball across goal where it landed at S Wilson who was tripped as he cut across the area. The ball landed at Pope who drilled it into the net but the referee had already blown to signal a penalty. POPE took the spot kick and slotted it home to put Talbot 1-0 ahead. Cowie then foolishly gathered the ball and kicked it against Pope but for some reason the ref chose to ignore this.
Cowie got lucky in the 71st minute. Shankland cut inside from the left and fired a routine shot on target. It looked easy enough for the keeper but he made a real hash of it and was grateful to snatch it at the 2nd attempt.
A minute later G Wilson sped down the left and whipped a great ball across the face of goal. There were no takers in the centre but Talbot won a corner when Palmer swept it behind. When the corner came over Hyslop met it and flashed a header inches wide of target.
A 2nd goal would’ve settled matters and Shankland squandered a decent chance to grab it in the 76th minute. S Wilson made ground down the right before rolling the ball back to find him in space inside the area but he got underneath it and ballooned his shot over.
White picked up a caution in the 79th minute for a foul on McGlinchey.
Talbot were reduced to 10 men in the 81st minute. It all started with an innocuous aerial challenge in the Lie box where Campbell was a fraction late. He fell to the ground in a tangle of bodies and as he got up he was confronted by Palmer who appeared to shove him. Campbell reacted and after the ensuing stramash had settled down the referee sent Campbell off for raising his hands.
It ought to have been game over in the 84th minute. Shankland slotted the ball out left to find G Wilson whose fierce drive was brilliantly touched away by Cowie. It went out wide where S Wilson crossed it into the centre and G Wilson met it 4 yards out but directed his free header too near the keeper and Cowie was able to make a reflex stop to keep it out, at the expense of a corner.
When the corner came over it came out to Hyslop who steered a shot just wide of the left post.
Talbot very nearly paid for their wastefulness in front of goal when Arthurlie almost fluked an equaliser inside injury time. A corner kick into the box was only partially cleared and fell to McGregor. His shot took a hefty deflection and with Leishman going the other way it looked like creeping in, only for Andy to change direction and fling himself to his left to gather it on the line.
The Bot then went down the park and wrapped it up with a late second goal. G Wilson broke free on the right and squared it inside for SHANKLAND who let it run across him before firing a low shot past Cowie to make it 2-0.
No doubt Talbot deserved the points but they made life unnecessarily difficult for themselves and but for a good stop by Leishman in stoppage time might have dropped two points. Next up for Talbot is a trip to Broadwood stadium to face Lowland league side Cumbernauld Colts in the senior Scottish cup.