Report

Match report by Murray
Kilbirnie proved unwelcome first footers to Beechwood as they claimed all 3 points in this league fixture courtesy of a very soft penalty award.
The surface had held up well considering the amount of rain that’s fallen but a strong breeze made playing conditions far from ideal for both sides.
The opening exchanges saw both keepers put under pressure following free kicks. Firstly, Leishman had to race off his line to punch Miller’s free kick out the danger zone and minutes later Hughes just beat Hyslop to an aerial ball after Pope’s free kick deflected off Gray’s head.
The only goal of the game came in the 11th minute. Lyle intercepted an intended through ball & passed it straight back at Leishman. He tried to take a touch but mis-controlled it and the ball broke straight out to Forde. Leishman threw himself out to make the block but Forde got his shot away, firing well wide of the post, however to the shock of the Bot team and home support the referee awarded a penalty because Leishman made contact after he’d got the shot away.
Latta was booked for protesting the decision but once the dust settled, MILLER stepped up to send Leishman the wrong way and put Kilbirnie 1-0 ahead.
Talbot looked to grab an early goal back and had an effort on target within a minute. Young’s cross found Latta in space at the back post and he steered a header back across goal where Hyslop met it but his header went straight at Hughes.
The next effort at target came in the 20th minute. Talbot were caught offside midway inside the Blasties half and Hughes launched a free kick down the left. White failed to cut it out and it came straight to Gold who hit it 1st time but his effort swerved away from target and wide of the left post.
In the 24th minute Boyd intercepted the ball inside Talbot’s half and played it up to Wilson. He laid it back into the path of Milliken who drilled a powerful shot goal ward that Hughes parried.
O’Byrne, who had a good afternoon for the visitors, had a bit of good fortune in the 27th minute. Hyslop met Pope’s cross beyond the back post and cushioned a header across the 6-yard area where O’Byrne took a wild swipe at it but sliced it wide of target and behind for a corner.
Kilbirnie won a free kick in a good area after half an hour when Lyle impeded Gold just outside the box. Miller’s low strike clipped the wall but broke out into the path of Anderson whose shot was blocked by Latta. Once the ball went dead, the referee cautioned Boyd for an earlier offence.
Hylsop had a half chance in the 35th minute. Lyle’s cross found Milliken’s head and he nodded it down into Hyslop’s path but he didn’t make a clean connection and scuffed his shot wide of the left post.
Talbot continued to huff & puff but without making any real headway and for all their endeavour only tested Hughes once more before the interval, when Boyd picked the ball up and charged forward before firing a piledriver that unfortunately went straight at Hughes who parried it and gathered at the 2nd attempt.
The 2nd half got off to an inauspicious start for the Bot when Lyle conceded a free kick 25 yards out in the 48th minute. It looked to be too wide for a crack at goal but Miller tried to angle a shot inside the near post where Leishman gathered.
Talbot had a good chance to level in the 51st minute. A free kick out on the right touchline was hit square to Pope in space on the left. He played it up to Milliken who in turn laid it wide toward Wilson. He was challenged inside the area but the ball broke kindly to Young on the left of the penalty area; however, he pulled his shot across goal and wide of the far post.
It wasn’t Butch’s day in front of goal, and a minute later he spurned another opportunity to equalise. Latta’s hanging cross eluded the defence and landed at the feet of Young 8 yards out, unfortunately he didn’t connect properly, trundling a shot across the face of goal which Hyslop prodded home at the far post but it didn’t count as he’d been flagged offside.
Talbot came close again in the 58th minute. Hughes managed to punch a corner clear under pressure but it only came out as far as Latta whose 1st time volley took a slight deflection and flew inches wide of the right hand post.
On the hour mark Pope’s diagonal pass found Wilson running free on the right. He took a good 1st touch then rolled it inside for Hyslop who was in space at the edge of the box but he ballooned his shot high over the bar.
The referee, already unpopular with the Beechwood crowd for his poor penalty call, didn’t win anyone over with his next call either. It looked a guaranteed straight red for Ladeside’s Miller when he kicked out at Lyle with the ball nowhere near but the referee bottled the decision in front of the visiting fans and only produced a yellow card.
Talbot had dominated the start of the half and had their chances but crucially failed to make any of them count and another one got away in the 62nd minute. Pope fired a great cross into the centre which spun high into the air off O’Byrne’s head. It dropped down onto the head of Milliken at the back post but the ball seemed to hit him rather than him heading the ball and fell wide of target.
The Bot fans knew it wasn’t to be a few minutes later. O’Byrne conceded a free kick just outside the box for a foul on Milliken which Pope struck. He curled it over the wall & had the keeper beaten but it cannoned back off the crossbar.
Forde picked up a caution in the 69th minute for a reckless challenge on Lyle and was followed into the book soon after by Wilson for a late tackle on Gold.
Tucker made a double switch in the 72nd minute with Steven Wilson on for Graham and Shankland replacing Boyd, however the longer the half wore on the more comfortable Ladeside looked with Talbot making no impression in the final third.
Talbot’s final chance came in the 84th minute. Pope swept forward and hit a good, deep cross to find Young at the far post. With players lining up in the centre Young tried to head it across the face of goal but Hughes was well positioned and snatched it out the air inside his left post.
With 5 minutes remaining Talbot made their final change with Gillies coming on for Latta.
In the closing stages Talbot were caught on the counter and Ladeside nearly added a second. Milliken looked to be fouled inside the Ladeside half but the ref waved play on and Ladeside broke forward. The ball was slid through to Forde inside the area but Leishman was quickly off his line to narrow the angle and make the stop.
A disappointing afternoon for Talbot who now have to dust themselves off and prepare for next Saturday’s visit to Pollok.

Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, McGoldrick, White, Boyd, Young, Hyslop, G Wilson, Milliken, Latta

Subs – S Wilson, Shankland, Gillies, Cochrane, Love

Kilbirnie – Hughes, Haxton, McKeown, Gray, O’Byrne, Anderson, Miller, Rafferty, Forde, Turner, Gold

Subs – Bennett, Gallacher, Duncan, Gemmell

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