Report

MURRAYS MATCH REPORT

If ever a game fitted the clichéd game of two halves it was this derby encounter at Beechwood with Talbot dominating the first but Cumnock on the front foot in the 2nd half.
There aren’t many prisoners taken in derby games & Cumnock’s Muir was fortunate to escape an early caution when he went in very late out on the stand side.
The 1st effort at goal came in the 5th minute. Drummond slotted the ball through the centre to find Young & he took one touch before turning & firing just wide of the left post.
Cumnock came close in the 7th minute. Burns diagonal ball floated over Talbot’s defence to find McRobbie in behind. He took a touch & tried to pass it into the net but Leishman was quickly off his line to narrow the angle & make the block. The ball rebounded out to Montgomerie who laid it off for Anson but he ballooned his shot over the bar.
Johnston produced a top save in the 11th minute, diving full length low to his right, to tip Shankland’s low drive around the post. Nothing came of the resultant corner but Cumnock couldn’t clear their lines & Talbot worked the ball out to Shankland on the left who raced to the bye line & fired it across goal where Johnston palmed it away at his near post.
The opening goal came in the 14th minute and just as on Saturday’s trip to Wigtown it was a brilliant free kick that broke the deadlock. SHANKLAND was fouled 25 yards out & he produced another top drawer set piece, firing an unstoppable shot over the wall that flew inside the left hand post.
Talbot nearly doubled their lead in the 24th minute. Talbot won a free kick in the Nock half and with Cumnock anticipating a ball into the box, Young played a short ball out to the left to Pope who ran onto it & smashed a powerful drive which Johnston had to tip over the bar.
Cumnock’s keeper made another crucial stop two minutes later. Talbot put together a slick passing move inside the Nock penalty area as Shankland & Wilson switched it right to send Young through on goal. Butch fired on target but Johnston was quickly off his line & spread himself to make the stop.
The referee had plenty of writing to do after the half hour mark. Firstly he booked McRobbie for leaving a foot in late on a challenge on Latta and a few minutes later White was unfortunate to find his name taken after he appeared to win the ball in a 50/50.
Shankland had a half chance to grab his 2nd in the 34th minute. A ball over the top of the Nock defence found Shankland running clear into the right side of the penalty area. He controlled it with his 1st touch & opted to hit it early, trying to pass the ball beyond Johnston but Cumnock’s keeper made the save.
Boyle became the 3rd Talbot player to be carded when booked for clipping Esplin’s heels as he broke forward.
Shankland’s confidence was high after his early goal & he attempted an ambitious effort in the 39th min; meeting the ball out wide on the right & hammering a 1st time shot just over the bar.
Talbot kept pressing but couldn’t fashion any clear cut chances and the half ended with Talbot leading 1-0.
A 2nd goal would have left Cumnock with a mountain to climb & Talbot threatened to double their lead in the 50th minute. Latta knocked a good ball down the right which picked out the run of Wilson inside the area. He took it round Johnston but the angle was too tight for a shot & Cumnock’s keeper recovered well to dive at his feet & smother the ball.
A minute later it was Cumnock on the attack. Samson surged past White & raced to the bye line before firing a dangerous ball across the face of goal but there were no takers in the centre.
Talbot stretched the Cumnock defence on the hour mark. Wilson held the ball up down the right before releasing Latta on the overlap. He whipped a superb cross toward the back post where McKenna made a crucial clearing header.
Tucker made a double change in the 66th minute with Steven Wilson & White making way for Graham Wilson & Hyslop.
Two minutes later Tucker was forced into another change when Shankland went over on his ankle and couldn’t continue, with Pooler on in his place.
Cumnock were seeing a lot of the ball, without really doing anything with it in the final 3rd and this prompted the visitors to make their own double substitution in the 72nd minute with their two wide men, Samson & Montgomerie, being replaced by two trialists.
Cumnock finally made their territorial dominance pay in the 75th minute. It was a poor goal to lose from Talbot’s perspective; a long shy came over from the right which Leishman came for but couldn’t claim under pressure. He spilled the ball & it fell for ANSON who rattled it into the roof of the net from 8 yards out.
Two minutes later Cumnock had a chance to take the lead. A deep cross found no. 16 in space beyond the back post but he fired well wide of target.
Esplin had his name taken in the 84th minute when he went in with his studs showing in a challenge.
Graham Wilson spurned a good chance to put Talbot back in front in the 85th minute. Pooler held the ball up well on the right before shoving it to Milliken. He flighted a cross into the centre where Wilson was left with a free header but he powered it over the bar from 6 yards.
Cumnock made a late change with Wells on for McRobbie and then Latta received a yellow card in the 89th minute for a clumsy challenge on Esplin.
The final chance of the match came Talbot’s way deep into injury time. Wilson was fouled 30 yards from goal and he fired the free kick past the wall but narrowly wide of the left post with Johnston scrambling to get across.
All in all a draw was probably a fair result. Next up for Talbot is another home match as they host Lugar on Wednesday night.

Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, Boyle, Drummond, White, Young, S Wilson, Milliken, Shankland, Latta
Subs – Pooler, McPherson, G Wilson, Hyslop, Hewitt

Cumnock – Johnston, Wood, Muir, Crawford, McKenna, Esplin, Samson, Burns, Anson, McRobbie, Montgomerie
Subs – Wells, Trialist, Trialist