Report

MURRAYS MATCH REPORT

Talbot booked their place in the draw for the 1st round of the William Hill Scottish cup with a battling away win over Camelon.

The home side started the game with a stiff breeze at their backs but had a big let off only two minutes in. Lyle plunked a cross into the area that clearly hit Lockie’s arm but the officials managed to miss it & dismissed Talbot’s penalty appeal.

There wasn’t much goal mouth action and it took until the 17th minute before the first close call. Stephen Wilson whipped over a cross from the right & Samson sent an overhead kick just wide of Shaw’s right post.

A minute later Talbot had another effort at goal. White was up-ended as he burst forward & Shankland took the free kick, curling it over the defensive wall but it didn’t dip in time & flew over the bar.

Talbot deservedly took the lead in the 20th minute. Leishman lifted it up the centre where Graham Wilson flicked it on into the path of Samson. He raced through only to see Shaw block his effort. The rebound came out to White who laid it off to his left to find MARK SHANKLAND & he drilled a low shot past Shaw.

Camelon were finding it difficult to harness the breeze & were guilty of overhitting long balls which tended to either end in goal kicks or go straight through to Leishman.

The home fans were given encouragement in the 27th minute when Docherty went on a strong run down the right which saw his final ball cut out at the near post at the expense of a corner.

In the 31st minute the Wilson brothers combined to create Talbot’s next goal threat. Stephen played it up the right to Graham who looked set to break into the box one on one with the keeper but Skinner recovered well to dive in & slide it behind for the corner.

The referee had work to do in the 34th minute. The ball ran out of play down the right for a shy but then Skinner took a swipe at Stephen Wilson off the sidelines. Again, the referee & his assistant managed to turn a blind eye to it.

Two minutes later Pope had his name taken for a late challenge on Kane.

Five minutes before the interval Leishman found Stephen Wilson out on the right & he headed it on toward Samson. He paced away down the wing & slung a dangerous low ball across the area that the defence did well to clear.

Talbot’s next attack saw Shaw have a shaky moment. Pope lifted a cross into the centre which the keeper missed. Stephen Wilson went for it at the back post but took a knock as he challenged for it & Lockie was able to scramble it away.

The Bot finished the half strongly and a minute before the break gave Shaw work to do. Graham Wilson laid the ball out left to Shankland who fired a low ball over that Shaw did well to cut out at his near post.

As the half moved into added time Talbot had a late chance to double their lead. A ball over the defence found Shankland & he touched it into the path of Samson on the left of the penalty area who drilled a low shot on target that Shaw blocked and so the half ended with Talbot one ahead.
Talbot made a strong start to the 2nd half and put the Camelon keeper under pressure in the 50th minute. Samson switched it out to the right to Stephen Wilson and when he crossed it in Shaw spilled the ball under the challenge of White but the ref gave the keeper the benefit of the doubt & awarded a free kick.

The Bot came within a whisker of moving two in front in the 58th minute. Herron conceded a free kick out on the left touchline for a foul on Graham Wilson which Pope angled into the area. Young climbed to meet it & sent a header crashing against the bar with the keeper beaten.

Camelon made a double switch in the 59th minute with David Morrison & McMullan making way for Sneddon & Deans.

McCroary received Camelon’s 2nd yellow card of the afternoon in the 69th minute when he barged Shankland over on the touchline.

The home side were enjoying a lot of the ball in the middle third without looking remotely threatening at the business end as Talbot sat in on their lead.

In the 74th minute slack play by Stephen Wilson gifted possession to McKenzie out on the right & he whipped over a good cross that glanced off the top of Docherty’s head on its way behind.

Both sides now made a change; Hyslop replacing White in the centre for Talbot & Cameron coming off or Herron for the home side.

As time went on the game was becoming stretched with Camelon having to throw more men forward & this created openings for Talbot on the break. In the 77th minute Hyslop rose to head the ball on into the feet of Shankland who in turn spread it wide to find Samson in space. He tried to curl one for the far corner but got too much on it & it sailed wide of the left post.

A minute later McPherson played an early ball down the right that found Samson racing onto the end of it & he opted to hit it first time; driving a low shot in that Shaw smothered.

With 11 minutes remaining Tucker made a double substitution with Shankland & Graham Wilson being replaced by Healy & Glasgow.

Talbot came close to putting the tie beyond Camelon in their next attack. Hyslop sent it to Armstrong out on the left & when he squared the ball back inside to Hyslop he curled a shot just over the bar from 18 yards.

Camelon pushed forward in the closing stages, without any end product, and with 3 mins remaining Talbot sealed victory with their 2nd goal. Pope whipped over a good cross from the touchline that KEIR SAMSON met to power a header past Shaw.

In the final minute Kane briefly looked like threatening the Bot goal when he jinked inside the box but he hesitated too long before shooting & was crowded out. The ball came out to McCroary on the right & he fired in a cross that McPherson put behind for a corner.

Deep in injury time Talbot almost grabbed a third. Samson raced clear on the right & lifted over a cross that Glasgow met on the 6-yard line but Shaw made an impressive reflex save to keep out his header.

A good away win for Talbot who now return to league duty next Saturday when they travel to Barrfields to face Largs Thistle.

Camelon Juniors – Shaw, McCroary, Lockie, Don Morrison, Skinner, David Morrison, Kane, Herron, Docherty, McMullan, McKenzie

Subs – Sneddon, Cameron, Daramola, Deans, Swanson, Sneddon, Kinnear

Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, McPherson, Young, White, Armstrong, Stephen Wilson, Graham Wilson, Samson, Shankland

Subs – Glasgow, McKinlay, Healy, Hyslop, Pearson, Aiden Wilson, Hewitt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY PAUL FLYNN.