Report

MURRAYS REPORT

Talbot produced an accomplished display to cruise past a toothless Arthurlie side in this one-sided league encounter.
The first chance of the match went the way of the visitors. Harvey conceded a free kick for a foul on MacLennan but McBride made little of the set piece blasting well over from 25 yards.
From there on it was pretty much one-way traffic towards the Arthurlie goal and it was no surprise when Talbot took the lead after 8 minutes. Armstrong fizzed a low ball in from the right that broke into the path of STEPHEN WILSON who fired past Hay to put the Bot one ahead.
A few minutes after giving Talbot the lead, Wilson was caught late by Scanlon who received the first of his cards of the afternoon.
The Bot could have doubled their lead in the 16th minute. Daly ought to have cleared a ball down the right of the area but tried to shepherd it out of play for a goal kick allowing McIlroy to nick in & send it back across the face of goal. It came to Glasgow with his back to goal who wheeled round before firing over the bar from 8 yards.
Two minutes later the woodwork came to the rescue of the beleaguered visitors. Wilson was fouled 25 yards out and Shankland steered his free kick over the wall & wide of the helpless Hay but it came off the right hand post & was booted clear.
The procession of Talbot chances continued in the 22nd minute. Talbot pressure resulted in a succession of corners, from the 2nd of which Hyslop rose to meet Shankland’s cross & head it down back the way it’d come but it bounced wide of target.
Two minutes later the Bot came close again. Glasgow started the move on the left, switching it across to Lyle on the opposite wing and when the ball came back across the area Glasgow’s side-footed effort looked destined for goal but unfortunately it was inadvertently blocked en route by McIlroy.
For all Talbot’s dominance it could have been all level in the 27th minute when hesitant defending allowed Roulston the time & space to run onto a loose ball just inside the area & his low drive was deflected just past Leishman’s left post.
Talbot were soon back on the ascendancy and won a free kick within striking distance when Glasgow was shoved in the back. Shankland took it & struck a low shot wide of the wall that Hay pushed around his post.
Hyslop met the resultant corner & powered a header on target that Hay parried to safety.
The Bot threatened the Lie goal again on the half mark from another corner. Shankland lifted it into the near post where Armstrong floated a header goal ward with Hay forced to backpedal to tip it over the bar.
Leishman had been spectating for the most part but had to look smart in the 33rd minute when Lyle was a touch short with a passback; racing off his line to beat Marks to the ball & taking a knock in the process.
Talbot’s 2nd goal duly arrived in the 38th minute from a set piece. Scanlon conceded a free kick for a foul on Glasgow & Pope bent an in swinger over from the right that SEAN MCILROY took on his chest before placing a low shot past Hay to make it 2-0.
Scanlon’s afternoon came to an abrupt end in the 42nd minute when he received a 2nd yellow & an early bath for clipping the heels of Stephen Wilson as he raced forward.
The final action of the half saw Armstrong square the ball across to Pope who teed it up for Harvey & he hammered a shot just over the bar.
Two goals adrift & a man down, it was no surprise that Arthurlie made a change at the break, with McGoldrick entering the fray for a cameo appearance.
The 2nd half continued in the same vein as the 1st with Talbot on the front foot and the Lie defence were stretched again two minutes after the re-start. A good Bot move ended with Armstrong sliding the ball through to the overlapping Lyle & his dangerous cross into the centre was headed behind by Daly.
Talbot kept the pressure up & nearly added to their lead soon after from one of the many corners they forced throughout the 90. Shankland pulled the corner back to the unmarked Lyle & Hay did well to touch his chip over the crossbar.
The game was effectively over in the 51st minute when Talbot added a 3rd goal. McIlroy gathered down the left & held it up before releasing Pope into the area. He lifted a cross to the back post where Glasgow’s volley crashed back off the bar & DWAYNE HYSLOP reacted first to force it home from close range.
A minute later & Glasgow had an opportunity to put Talbot further ahead. He got free down the right but drilled his shot into the side-netting from a tight angle.
Hay prevented Stephen Wilson from adding to Talbot’s lead in the 55th minute. An Arthurlie corner saw Talbot race to the other end when Shankland sent Glasgow racing away on the counter. He fed the ball through to Wilson who nutmegged Daly to go through on Hay but the Lie keeper was quickly off his line to spread himself & make a good stop to block Wilson’s shot.
Tucker made a double switch in the 59th minute with Graham Wilson & McCracken coming on for McIlroy & Hyslop.
McCracken came close to adding to Talbot’s tally in the 62nd minute when he ran onto Shankland’s corner from the right but directed his header just wide of Hay’s left post.
Athurlie’s Herculean task became mission impossible within the space of a couple of minutes. McGoldrick was booked for a shirt tug on Stephen Wilson in the 65th minute & before the ref’s ink was dry in his notebook he received a 2nd yellow for a late challenge on Stephen Wilson, reducing the visitors to 9 men.
Talbot’s 4th goal came in the 73rd minute from their umpteenth corner. Shankland took a corner from the left & angled it back to find STEPHEN WILSON in space at the edge of the area & he curled a beauty past Hay inside the left post.
Tucker now made his final change with young Logan Campbell making his 1st team debut when he came on for Glasgow.
Shankland tested the Lie keeper in the 76th minute when he fired a shot from the left across goal that Hay touched past his far post.
Two minutes later Pope joined the attack to drive a shot just over the bar from 20 yards.
Talbot kept the momentum going & nearly added to their lead in the 81st minute. Pope sent Shankland scampering clear down the left & he fired it low across the area to Graham Wilson. It broke off him & came to Campbell who fired a shot at Hay.
The Bot came close twice more in the closing stages to aiding their goal difference. Firstly in the 85th minute when Graham Wilson met a cross from the left only to see his header fly off the crossbar before being cleared and then a few minutes later when Shankland pulled the ball back to Pope whose fierce drive was tipped over the bar.
This was a good win for Talbot who now travel through to Hurlford on Monday night on league duties in a game given added spice by the impending showdown at the end of May.

Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, Harvey, McPherson, Stephen Wilson, Hyslop, Armstrong, McIlroy, Shankland, Glasgow

Subs – Graham Wilson, Campbell, White, McLuckie, McCracken

Arthurlie – Hay, Burns, McBride, Buchanan, Bohme, Scanlon, Roulston, Lyon, Marks, Daly, Maclennan

Subs – McKenzie, O’Halloran, Wilson, McGoldrick, Mohamed

Photographs by Paul Flynn.