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MURRAYS MATCH REPORT

As they used to say on Police Squad, move along nothing to see here and that neatly sums up a very nondescript encounter.
Talbot started brightly enough & should have gone ahead in the 6th minute. Pope fired a good cross over to the back post which S Wilson volleyed over the bar from a decent position.
Two minutes later Hyslop forced a save out of Davis when he nodded Pooler’s cross on target; forcing the keeper to turn it wide. When the corner came over Hyslop ought to have scored but instead glanced a header wide of the far post.
G Wilson had Talbot’s next chance; heading wide of goal from Latta’s cross.
Lugar had barely crossed halfway but they almost snatched the lead in the 19th min. S Wilson’s weak header fell straight to Shankland whose shot from 25 yards slipped just past Leishman’s left post.
In Talbot’s next attack G Wilson played a superb ball across the area but with no Bot player in the centre it went to waste & Johnston bundled it behind for a corner. Pope swung it into the near post where it flew off McKnight’s head & out to the left wing. Hyslop gathered it & knocked it into the centre where DRUMMOND headed home from close range to put Talbot 1-0 ahead after 23 mins.
G Wilson missed a glorious chance to double Talbot’s lead in the 28th min. Milliken raced away from Kirkwood, who pulled up injured, and made his way down the right edge of the box. He squared it inside where Pooler dummied it, leaving G Wilson through one on one but he failed to beat Davis who dived to his right to turn his shot behind. When the corner came over Drummond met it only to see his header come back off the foot of the left post.
Lugar had a rare chance in the 36th min when Thomson got away down the right & fired into the side-netting from a tight angle.
Davis pulled off a top save soon after to deny G Wilson. Stevenson hit a good ball across the box to S Wilson who guided it across goal for his brother to head & G’s header was going in until Davis dived to tip it over the bar.
A minute before the interval Talbot squandered a gilt edged chance. G Wilson found Pope racing on the overlap & his low centre landed perfectly for S Wilson but he lashed it over the bar from 8 yards out.
Talbot started the 2nd half strongly and almost added to their lead within a minute. Stevenson whipped a good cross over from the right which G Wilson just failed to reach at the back post.
It was then a case of attack v defence as Talbot camped in the Lugar half but with little to nothing to show for their pressure.
Pooler had a good opportunity to open his Talbot account on the hour mark. Hyslop slid the ball through to him down the right & when he cut inside on his left foot he had plenty of space but shot tamely at the keeper.
Tucker made a double switch in the 67th minute with S Wilson & Milliken making way for White & Young.
Young was involved immediately, finding Stevenson racing free down the left. He pulled it back to the waiting Hyslop but he failed to hit the target, placing his shot wide of the right post.
Talbot’s 2nd goal arrived in the 72nd minute. G WILSON looked suspiciously offside as he ran onto Drummond’s lofted ball through the centre but the flag stayed down & he took one touch before coolly slotting it past Davis.
The Bot nearly added a scruffy 3rd goal in the 76th minute. Lugar conceded a free kick wide of their box which Young played in low to the near post. Wilson scuffed his shot but Pope reacted first to hook the ball across goal where Drummond got under it & headed over the bar from close range.
Lugar scarcely made a chance all night & on the rare occasions they were near Talbot’s box, failed to work Leishman. They had a half chance to pull a goal back in the 79th minute when Shankland headed the ball onto Clapperton inside the area but he pulled his shot well wide of target.
With the light failing fast the game just fizzled out and the final whistle was welcomed by all.
Next up for Talbot is an away trip to Kirkconnel to face Kello, knowing a win will secure their place in the quarter-finals.

Talbot – Leishman, Latta, Pope, McPherson, Drummond, G Wilson, Stevenson, Hyslop, S Wilson, Pooler
Subs – Young, White, Boyle, Kirkpatrick, Hewitt

Lugar – Davis, Ross, Kirkwood, McKnight, Robertson, Milligan, McQuade, Thomson, Wilson, Shankland, Johnston
Subs – McCorrison, Clapperton, Anderson, Black