Wick Academy v Auchinleck Talbot

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MURRAY’S MATCH REPORT

The long, winding road north paid off for Talbot as they booked their place in the 2nd round of the William Hill Scottish cup thanks to a 2-1 win over Wick in a feisty encounter.
Talbot made a strong start to this tie, pegging the home side back in the opening minutes as they forced a string of corners. The closest they came to threatening the Wick goal was when Glasgow swirled a corner to the back post where Hyslop just failed to get on the end of it.
Wick gave the Talbot defence something to think about in the 3rd minute when they launched a swift counter down the right. Henry lifted a great ball down the right to find Allan & he paced beyond Pope before cutting the ball back across goal where McPherson cleared.
Two minutes later Wick came close to opening the scoring. A shy from the right found Allan inside the area & he hooked the ball back to Halliday who steered a half volley just wide of the right post.
The home side could have been a man down within 6 minutes. There seemed nothing in it when M Steven clashed with Graham Wilson out by the touchline; however as Wilson lay on the turf Steven appeared to stamp on him but neither the ref nor his assistant picked up on it.
Talbot’s first effort at goal came in the 9th minute. Graham Wilson’s head flick found Kemp on the left & he released it to Glasgow whose effort landed on target from 18 yards but lacked the power to trouble McCarthy.
Henry had his name taken in the 16th minute for a late challenge on Stephen Wilson. Glasgow took the resultant free kick & bent it across goal & beyond the far post where Pope met it but he fired his shot back across goal and wide of the left post.
The referee enraged the vocal travelling support in the 22nd minute. Harvey slid in & looked to have won the ball cleanly but the ref had other ideas & awarded Wick a free kick 25 yards from goal. Manson took it & whilst he got it up & over the wall it was never dipping quickly enough & sailed over Leishman’s bar.
Talbot won a free kick, and picked up a booking in the 25th minute. The free kick was awarded for a foul on Glasgow out on the left but before it could be taken the ref cautioned Graham Wilson for an earlier clash with Steven. Glasgow took the set piece & flighted it into the near post where Graham Wilson beat McCarthy to it but couldn’t keep his header below the bar.
The Bot put together a good move in the 31st minute when they moved the ball quickly to find Hyslop on the right of the area. He lifted a cross into the centre where Glasgow steered a header over the bar.
A minute later Kemp sped clear down the right & drilled it low across the face of goal but it had just too much pace on it for Glasgow to reach it.
The opening goal came in the 38th minute & it is one Wick’s keeper would like to forget. Graham Wilson nodded the ball down to find Lyle on the right & he hoisted a cross into the heart of the area. McCarthy came out to claim it but only patted the ball straight to JAMIE GLASGOW who coolly lobbed the ball over the stranded keeper to put Talbot 1-0 ahead.
Two minutes before the interval Talbot were back on the attack when McPherson carried the ball up the right before pinging it onto the head of Graham Wilson. He flicked it on to Glasgow who fired over the bar from 20 yards.
Right on the stroke of half-time Wick ought to have levelled the score. Talbot’s defence were caught flat footed by a ball dinked up the centre allowing Allan to break through. He controlled it 1st time inside the box but pulled his shot wide of the right post and so Talbot went in ahead at the interval.
Tucker made a change during the half-time break & when Talbot re-emerged McDowall was on for White.
Talbot started the 2nd half brightly & nearly unlocked the Wick defence a minute after the re-start but Kemp just failed to latch onto a pass in behind the defence.
Hyslop had his name taken in the 48th minute when he was slightly late in a 50/50 challenge on the half-way line.
A minute later he was joined in the book by Henry who received a caution for petulantly kicking the ball away.
Kemp had a chance to double Talbot’s lead in the 53rd minute. A counter-attack saw Talbot sweep up field where Graham Wilson laid the ball into the path of Kemp. He burst into the area past the defence but his final touch took it away from him & McCarthy raced off his line to smother the ball.
The action then immediately switched to the other end as Wick broke into the Talbot penalty area down the left. Leishman did well to block MacAdie’s shot but the ball came out to Henry on the left & he sent a low ball across goal which HALLIDAY side-footed home from close range to level the score.
Talbot responded in the best manner possible to this setback as they re-gained the lead within a matter of minutes. A good passing move saw the ball worked to McDowall on the right of the penalty area. He took a wild swipe at it but the ball broke back to him and his 2nd shot was deflected across the area. Glasgow touched it into the path of STEPHEN WILSON who hammered a left foot shot from 15 yards inside the right post to put Talbot 2-1 ahead.
The home side weren’t done though and forced Leishman into action in the 64th minute. MacGregor latched onto a ball in behind the defence & pulled it back to the edge of the area where MacAdie drilled a low shot straight at Leishman.
Tucker now made a double switch with Hyslop & Graham Wilson making way for Armstrong & McIlroy.
McCarthy prevented Talbot extending their lead with a top class save in the 67th minute. McIlroy cushioned a header down into the path of Kemp who let fly from 18 yards only to see the keeper acrobatically tip his shot over the bar. When the corner came over it was retrieved by Stephen Wilson who laid the ball back to Pope who was halved by a crude challenge from G Steven. The referee immediately produced a straight red and Wick were left to face the remainder of the match a man down. Glasgow took the resultant free kick but fired over the bar from 25 yards.
With twenty minutes remaining Wick made a change with Hughes on in place of MacAdie.
Talbot’s next attack came from a blunder in the home defence. Manson gifted the ball to Glasgow down the right & he sent Lyle clear on the overlap. He fired a great ball across the 6-yard area between defence & keeper but no one could get on the end of it.
The Bot were on the attack again in the 74th minute. Wick only partially cleared a shy from the right and the ball came out to Pope outside the area where he smashed a shot just over the bar.
Wick now made a further change with MacNab replacing MacGregor.
Another goal would’ve settled it but Talbot couldn’t convert their chances to kill the tie off.
Kemp went on a surging run through the centre & slipped it wide left to find Glasgow racing into the area but he took a heavy 1st touch and it broke away through to the keeper.
Henry, already on a booking, was a tad fortunate when he took Glasgow down with a tackle from the back but the referee contented himself with awarding Talbot the free kick. Pope took it & went for goal but his effort failed to trouble McCarthy.
Talbot had a golden chance to end the tie in the 80th minute. Glasgow skipped across the penalty area before releasing a pass to find Kemp free in space on the left. He carried in on goal & tried to bend a shot past the advancing McCarthy but the keeper made a good stop to deny him.
Within a minute Talbot were back on the attack with McIlroy finding Glasgow on the right who sent a low ball into the near post where McDowall bundled it wide under pressure.
In the 83rd minute a shy into the area found Kemp on the right edge of the box. He managed to turn his marker & go for goal but his curling effort went wide of the right post.
Wick now played their final card with Gunn coming on to replace M Steven.
With 3 minutes remaining the referee produced one of the more bizarre decisions you’re likely to see this season. Leishman was fouled in the air as he gathered a floated cross into the box but rather than re-starting the game with a free kick to Talbot once Leishman had been treated, the referee ordered a bounce up at the edge of the penalty area. Fortunately, nothing came of it & the ball ran through to Leishman.
Glasgow came very close to his 2nd of the afternoon in the 88th minute. McIlroy played it out to Kemp on the left & when his cross came over it found Glasgow in space inside the area. He took his time & stepped inside Manson before firing a low shot past McCarthy that was cleared off the goal line.
Talbot kept cool heads in the closing stages & retained possession well to see the game out. The final whistle saw the Bot team cross over to the enclosure to celebrate the win with the travelling support.
Next up for Talbot it is back to cup duties but this time in their defence of the Scottish Junior cup where they host Forfar West End at Beechwood next Saturday.