Report

JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH!

Report, Murray Steele, Photography Craig McGhee, Media Lee Conn.

Talbot snatched a draw from the jaws of victory after a Jekyll and Hyde performance saw them go from cruise control to hanging on at the final whistle.

The Bot couldn’t have started any better. In the 1^st minute they won a corner down the right that the defence only cleared back out to Wardrope and he fired wide from the edge of the area.

A few minutes later Wardrope surged between two Lie players and made for the box. He tried to find Smith in space to his left but his pass was cut out.

Nine minutes in and Kerr received a caution for a heavy challenge on Wardrope. He tried to continue but couldn’t shake off the knock and was replaced in the 13^th minute by Lennox.

In the 16^th minute Talbot’s pressure paid off when they won a penalty. McPherson lifted it long down the left for the run of Thomson and as he raced onto it inside the box he was clumsily up-ended by Magee. ROSS SMITH took the spot kick and fired it past the keeper inside the left post to put Talbot 1-0 ahead.

Magee had injured himself conceding the penalty and he was replaced by Greenwood.

Talbot were gifted a corner out of nothing in the 26^th minute when McKinven sliced a clearance behind. Langan’s deep corner came to Boylan on the right and he volleyed it back across goal. There were loud appeals for hand-ball but the ref waved play on.

A minute later Talbot doubled their lead. A shy on the left came to Smith and he volleyed an accurate cross to the far post where BRYAN BOYLAN steered a header past McKinven.

It was all Talbot and the Bot had the visitors defence stretched again in the 32^nd minute. Boyle knocked a good ball up the right to free Boylan and he played it early trying to find Thomson but the defence did well to cut it out.

Two minutes later Leyden clipped Langan’s heels as he raced forward then kicked the ball away resulting in a booking. Langan played the free kick into the near post area where it just cleared the head of Slooves.

At this stage it looked to be a question of how many for Talbot and the Bot came close again in the 37^th minute. Langan intercepted the ball and sped down the left before cutting it back inside to find Boyle. He had time & space and let a screamer fly from 30 yards that just flew over the bar.

McNeil became the 3^rd Lie player in the book when he was cautioned in the 38^th minute for a foul on Boylan. Langan played the resultant free kick up the left to Boylan who saw his shot blocked. Talbot kept the pressure on and switched play out to the right where Armstrong forced a corner. When Langan’s corner came over Lennox met it and headed it back into the mix where the defence managed to clear.

Talbot’s next chance came when Armstrong whipped over a good cross that the defence were only able to head out to Boylan 20 yards out and his shot slipped just wide of the left hand post.

In the 42^nd minute Arthurlie made a change with Sugafara replacing Kangi-Soukpe.

A minute from the interval Talbot had a good chance to extend their lead. Thomson won a corner down the right and Langan delivered it into the centre where Lennox ran onto it unchallenged but didn’t make clean contact – glancing his header well wide.

Into added time Talbot had one last chance. Arthurlie were guilty of over-playing inside their own area and Thomson nicked in to steal it before firing wide of the left post.

Arthurlie made a change during the interval with Bradley coming on.

The sub got the benefit of a dubious call in the 49^th minute when he appeared to foul Smith whilst they were both lying on the deck. The ball went loose and broke to Boylan in space but the ref then blew up and awarded Arthurlie the foul.

The visitors were forced into a change in the 53^rd minute when McKinven went down injured with Clarke coming on as replacement keeper.

In the 59^th minute McPherson drove a diagonal ball from left to right that the defence failed to cut out. It came to Boylan inside the box and he fired a low drive on target that was comfortably held by Clarke.

Arthurlie had offered little up to this point but gave Talbot a warning in the 61^st minute. Langan conceded a free kick for a challenge on Bolger out on the right. Docherty swung it into the centre where it was cleared but straight back out to him. He played it back into the area toward McGuigan who swivelled and steered a shot just wide of the right post.

In the 63^rd minute Langan raced down the left and got to the bye line before cutting it back into the centre but it didn’t break Talbot’s way and Arthurlie swept to the other end when a long diagonal ball cleared Armstrong’s head allowing Kerr to race onto it and fire a low shot on target that Glavin held at his near post.

A minute later Talbot nearly had their third. Langan’s cross from the left took a deflection and landed at the feet of Smith just outside the near post. He fired it on target but couldn’t beat Clarke from a tight angle with the keeper blocking it behind for a corner.

In the 67^th minute Boyle won the ball in the Lie half and spread play out wide right to find Boylan. He cut in on his left foot and curled a cross into the centre that was fractionally too high for Thomson who got his head to it but couldn’t keep it down.

The game was turned on its head a minute later when Talbot conceded a needless penalty. Arthurlie won a free kick down the standside which Docherty took quickly – lifting it into the area. There appeared no danger as Glavin came to claim it but he flapped it away and then chased after it and caught Kerr and the ref pointed to the spot. DYKES took the penalty and sent Glavin the wrong way to make it 2-1.

The goal energised Arthurlie whilst giving Talbot the jitters and Talbot had a let off in the 73^rd minute. An attempted shot was blocked on the left of the area and broke kindly to Kerr who drilled it low across goal but there was too much on it for anyone to get on the end of it.

In the 76^th minute Bolger skipped past Gillies and played a dangerous low ball across the face of goal that Glavin turned away at the expense of a corner. Talbot now made a change with McMillan coming on for Armstrong.

Lennox had his name taken in the 78^th minute for what appeared to be an innocuous challenge on Docherty.

Nine minutes from time a ball out left found Kerr racing for the bye line but McMillan got back to make the tackle and put it behind for the corner. When the corner came over it was only partially cleared and Arthurlie switched it out to the right where Docherty won a free kick near the corner flag. He whipped the free kick into the centre where Glavin clutched it under the bar.

Talbot now made a double change with Smith & Thomson making way for Boyd & Black.

In the 86^th minute Black played it out wide left for Lennox whose low ball across goal was touched behind by Clarke. Talbot’s attempted short corner didn’t come off but it broke back to Langan whose cross to the far post was headed wide by Slooves.

With a minute to go Boyle received a booking for a foul midway inside his own half on Leyden. Docherty took it and flighted it into the area where it was headed out for a shy on the right. When the shy came in the Bot defence were found wanting. The throw coming into the near post where it was laid back into the path of Roulston who had plenty of time & space to pick out a pass to the far post where GREENWOOD bundled home from close range to level it.

Deep into injury time Talbot looked to have a stonewall penalty appeal turned down. Black curled over a great cross from the left that Boylan looked set to meet until he was shoved in the back but the referee ignored Talbot’s appeals.

In the final action of the match Arthurlie nearly stole all 3 points. They were awarded a free kick 40 yards out for handball. Docherty took it and angled a dangerous ball across the box that McNeil just failed to connect with and the game ended 2-2.

A disappointing result for Talbot who had the game in the bag but let it slip. Talbot are back in action today when a Davie Gillies select faces off against Graham Wilson’s 11 in G’s testimonial at Beechwood.

Talbot are back in competitive action next Saturday when they host Blantyre Vics in the South Challenge cup but as I’m getting married that afternoon Jim will be back on reporting duties.

Auchinleck Talbot – Glavin, Armstrong, Gillies, Slooves, McPherson, Langan, Boyle, Wardrope, Boylan, Smith, Thomson

Subs – Boyd, Black, Kennedy, Lennox, McMillan, Abed, Henry (gk)

Arthurlie – McKinven, Kerr, Roulston, Kangi-Soukpe, Bolger, Leyden, McGuigan, Dykes, McNeil, Magee, Docherty

Subs – Sugafara, Bradley, Fletcher, Greenwood, McPherson, Clarke (gk)