A below par Talbot came out second best to Kilbirnie in this league fixture & could have little complaint over the result.
The home side should have taken the lead in the 4th minute. Young conceded a free kick out on the right which Miller delivered to the far post. Anderson laid it back across goal for Forde who somehow put it wide from 6 yards out.
Graham Wilson had his name taken in the 5th minute for leading with his arm in an aerial challenge.
The Blasties threatened the Bot goal in the 11th minute when they were awarded a soft looking free kick out on the left. It was delivered to the far post where Grehan headed it back across goal, forcing McGoldrick to slice it behind.
Kilbirnie were piling on the pressure & mounting up the corners & one almost came off for them in the 14th minute. Grehan met a corner from the right & his header for goal was glanced on by Forde but cleared at the far post by White.
Talbot’s first effort at goal came in the 17th minute when Young sliced a shot wide from 20 yards.
The Bot goal had a lucky escape in the 23rd minute. Anderson sped into the box down the left & laid it across to the back post where Gold fired wide of target from close range.
Steven Wilson had an opportunity to give Talbot the lead a minute later when he ran onto Young’s cross from the left wing but he lifted his free header over the bar.
As the half wore on, it looked as though Talbot had weathered the early storm, but with 3 minutes remaining Kilbirnie took the lead. MCALEER raced onto a good diagonal ball & cut inside past Young before curling a first time shot in off the right hand post to give Kilbirnie a 1-0 lead at the interval.
The 2nd half was only a minute old when Hyslop had his name taken. He went over in the penalty area when cutting across the box but the ref judged him to have taken a dive & produced a yellow card.
Graham Wilson hit the target in the 50th minute. He drilled a decent shot inside the right hand post from 20 yards but Hughes was well positioned to make the save.
Kilbirnie doubled their advantage in the 55th minute with a well taken goal. Anderson sent the ball out left to Forde who swung it across to the far corner of the 6-yard area where GREHAN side-footed it into the corner of the net.
Anderson picked up a yellow card in the 56th minute, and perhaps was lucky it wasn’t red, as he went in very late on White.
Tucker made a change in the 66th minute when Shankland came on in place of Boyd.
Kilbirnie also made a change in the 72nd minute with Turner on in place of Grehan.
Talbot were thrown a lifeline with quarter of an hour remaining. Staunton had been guilty of a few dubious aerial challenges & when he jumped into Graham Wilson with his arm extended, the ref pointed to the spot & booked him.
GRAHAM WILSON took the spot kick & sent Hughes the wrong way to make it 2-1.
Kilbirnie were showing signs of cracking under pressure & had two players cautioned in quick succession. Firstly, Turner for dissent following the award of a free kick to Talbot and then Hughes for time-wasting.
Talbot pushed bodies forward in the closing stages but never really fashioned a clear cut opening & almost lost a 3rd on the counter-attack in the 84th minute. McGoldrick was beaten to the ball by Turner who raced into the area but sent his shot wide of the right post under pressure from McCracken.
Any hopes of a late fight back were ended with a minute of time remaining when Graham Wilson received his 2nd yellow card of the evening leaving Talbot down to 10 men.
Not one of Talbot’s better nights but the Bot will be hoping to bounce back with a West of Scotland quarter-final against Clydebank to look forward to this Saturday.Kilbirnie Ladeside – Hughes, Rafferty, Bennett, Staunton, Houston, Anderson, Gold, Miller, Grehan, Forde, McAteerSubs – Meechan, Brannan, TurnerAuchinleck Talbot – Leishman, White, Lyle, McGoldrick, McCracken, Boyd, Young, Hyslop, Graham Wilson, Milliken, Steven Wilson

Subs – Shankland, Love, Findlay, Johnstone

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