Report

Photographs by Paul Flynn.

MURRAYS MATCH REPORT

Talbot have a good record at Newlandsfield & they built on this with a well-deserved 2-1 win over Pollok in front of a good crowd.
The Bot made a bright start & had a decent chance to take the lead in the 3rd minute. Shankland lifted a ball down the left to find Kemp racing in behind the defence. He slid it across the face of goal where Graham Wilson steered it wide of the far post.
Talbot did take the lead in the 10th minute and once again it came thanks to a set piece. Stephen Wilson’s cross was deflected behind for a corner on the right & when Shankland delivered it into the centre where Pope met it. His header skipped off the surface toward goal & GRAHAM WILSON reacted to nod it home from close range.
Another Talbot corner saw them close again in the 15th minute. This time Shankland lifted it to the far post where Longmuir failed to cut it out. It came to Harvey but he couldn’t get above it & his header flew over the bar.
The home side came close to an equaliser in the 17th minute. Pollok were awarded a free kick out on the left which Young curled into the centre. Leishman came off his line to punch clear but was beaten to it by McGregor whose header sailed wide of the left post.
Within a minute Longmuir prevented Talbot from doubling their lead. The Lok defence failed to clear a corner from the right & it came out to Pope just outside the area. He hammered a shot for goal that was deflected high into the air. When the ball spun to earth Kemp was the first to react & he drilled a low shot on goal that nearly squeezed past Longmuir who did well to make the stop.
Talbot were annoyed at the officials in the 21st minute when two calls went against them in quick succession. Firstly, the linesman flagged Pollok offside as they broke forward, only for the referee to ignore him, then when the ball came into the box Gormley looked to shoulder Lyle off the ball. Gormley cut inside but Lyle recovered & got across to block his shot behind for the corner.
Pollok’s McCann tested Leishman in the 23rd minute. There didn’t seem any immediate danger as Pollok lifted the ball down the centre but the Bot defence failed to cut it out & it came out to McCann on the right who angled a low shot back across goal that Leishman turned wide of the post.
In Talbot’s next attack they won a free kick out on the left following Gallacher’s clumsy aerial challenge on Graham Wilson. Shankland curled a dangerous cross in behind the defence & Gallacher got a lucky break when he dived to cut it out & steered it straight to his keeper.
Thirty two minutes in Talbot won another free kick on the left, this time a bit nearer to goal, after Gallacher clipped the heels of Kemp. This time Shankland opted to shoot, curling it over the defensive wall, but over the bar.
Fraser had his name taken in the 34th minute for a late challenge.
A minute later Talbot had the Lok defence at full stretch. Kemp got away on the right & fired a low ball into the near post toward Graham Wilson but it was well-defended.
Talbot doubled their advantage in the 40th minute and it’s a goal McCann would like to forget. He gifted Talbot the ball with a slack pass out from the back which was worked out to Graham Wilson on the left. He burst into the area where McCann clumsily up-ended him and the ref pointed to the spot. GRAHAM WILSON kept a cool head & sent Longmuir the wrong way to roll it into the bottom corner and make it 2-0.
In the closing minutes of the half Kemp picked up a caution when he carried on after the whistle & lobbed the ball into the net after being caught offside.
The last thing Talbot would have wanted was to concede an early goal to give Pollok a lifeline but that’s just what happened in the 48th minute. Sideserf swept the ball from one touchline to the other to pick out McCann on the right. He whipped a good cross over which McGregor headed on target. Leishman produced a good stop to deny him, diving to his right to push it away, but it came straight to FRASER who drilled it low into the far corner to make it 2-1.
A 3rd goal from Talbot would have effectively killed the game off and a golden chance to grab it came in the 58th minute. Graham Wilson’s shot from the left of the area was deflected and came across to Kemp in front of goal. He looked set to fire it home but Gallacher threw himself across to get a nick on it & deflect his shot over the bar.
Pollok then had a lucky escape from the resultant corner. Longmuir came to take Shankland’s corner only to drop it. Hyslop hooked the ball goal ward only to see it cleared off the line.
Stephen Wilson picked up a harsh yellow card in the 61st minute. He chased onto Hyslop’s head flick & collided with Sideserf inside the area. It looked to be an accidental coming together but the ref thought he’d dived & booked him.
Talbot ought to have put the game beyond any doubt when they two good chances within a minute.
The first one came in the 63rd minute when Talbot broke swiftly up the left & Shankland won a corner. It was taken quickly to Stephen Wilson who angled a cross in straight onto the head of Hyslop who powered a free header off the outside the right post.
A minute later a simple ball over the top found the Lok defence caught for pace as Kemp raced away from Boyle inside the area but he pulled his shot wide of the left post.
A single goal lead is always precarious & the Bot had a scare in the 70th minute. McGregor chanced his arm with a long range effort that took a fortuitous deflection & landed right at the feet of Fraser who hit a tame shot on target from 10 yards out.
Tucker made his first change in the 72nd minute with Glasgow on in place of Kemp.
Harvey had his name taken in the 74th minute for a late challenge.
Talbot made their second change with quarter of an hour remaining with Armstrong replacing Shankland & Pollok also made a change at the same time with Millar on for Fraser.
Tucker completed his substitutions in the 78th minute when McIlroy came on for Graham Wilson.
McIlroy was only on the park a minute before being involved. Armstrong won the ball out on the right & pinged it up the right to find McIlroy racing through; however, Longmuir had read the danger & raced out his box to just beat him to it & clear it out for a shy.
Pollok had a chance to test the Bot defence in the 80th minute when they won a free kick out wide on the right. Young lifted a high cross to the back post where Leishman confidently claimed it.
A minute later Talbot had another chance to restore their two goal cushion. McIlroy gathered out on the right & swept a ball across the area. The Lok defence failed cut it out and it came to Glasgow in space on the left of the area but he tugged his shot wide of the left post.
Pollok were a little fortunate to keep 11 men on the pitch when McGregor was guilty of a cynical late challenge on McPherson but the referee thought a yellow card sufficed.
The closing stages saw Talbot hemmed in with Pollok throwing bodies forward to try and salvage a point. In the closing minute of the match Gormley curled a good cross over from the left toward the back post where McGregor went down looking for a penalty but the referee wasn’t interested and Talbot were able to see out injury time comfortably enough.
A good away win for Talbot that keeps them up at the business end of the table; next week it is back to Beechwood for league duty as Talbot entertain Kilwinning Rangers.

Pollok – Longmuir, McKenzie, Sideserf, Gallacher, Boyle, Sena, G McCann, McGregor, Gormley, Fraser, Young

Subs – Coutts, Millar, McMullin, McWilliams, Brash

Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, Harvey, McPherson, Stephen Wilson, Hyslop, White, Graham Wilson, Kemp, Shankland

Subs – McIlroy, Glasgow, Armstrong, McDowall, McCracken