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PHOTOGRAPHS BY PAUL FLYNN.

Talbot booked their place in the 3^rd round draw of the Scottish Junior cup thanks to a 2-1 away win over Carluke; the final score being a lot tighter than many would have anticipated and an inaccurate reflection of a game Talbot could & should have won a lot more comfortably.

The first of Talbot’s many efforts at goal came in the 6^th minute when Shankland played Hyslop in down the left & he angled a shot across goal and over the crossbar.

The home side tested Talbot’s defence in the 8^th minute when they won a corner down the right. Dailly hit an in swinger into the centre that Armstrong headed to safety.

Two minutes later Talbot had Carluke’s defence at full stretch when Shankland sent Hyslop free down the right. He swept a good cross over to the back post which Kane had to put behind. When Shankland’s corner came over toward the back post Brown was at full stretch to tip it away.

The Bot came close to opening the scoring in the 18^th minute. A flurry of quick passes ended with Glasgow racing clear of the defence to race through on the keeper but his shot clipped the base of the right hand post and spun out for a goal kick.

The opener came in the 23^rd minute when Glasgow did well to turn Neossi out on the left before swinging over a cross that KEIR SAMSON nodded inside Brown’s right post to put Talbot 1-0 ahead.

Within a minute Talbot nearly added a second. Samson’s cross from the right was put behind for a corner which Shankland delivered deep beyond the far post where Samson guided a header back across goal that was cleared off the line.

Samson was involved again in the 27^th minute. He met McPherson’s flighted pass & nodded it down into the path of Glasgow who returned the ball back to Samson who’d continued his run. He got free down the right of the penalty area & lobbed a shot over the bar.

A 2^nd goal would have killed the game and Talbot were unfortunate not to double their lead in the 29^th minute. Stafford swung over a good cross from the right which Healy ran onto & glanced a header for goal that cannoned off the right post with the keeper well beaten before a defender put it behind for the corner. When Shankland’s corner came in Brown got a hand to it but could only clear it out as far as Glasgow whose low shot from 16 yards was deflected wide by the keeper’s outstretched left leg.

Talbot had another half chance in the 31^st minute when Wilson was blocked just wide of the penalty area resulting in a free kick. Shankland took it & went for goal but fired it into the side-netting.

The game should have been out of sight & Talbot were made to pay for their missed chances in the 34^th minute when Carluke equalised out of the blue. The home side were awarded a free kick out on the left that Dailly crossed into the centre. It was cleared but fell into the path of SMALL 22 yards out & he hammered an unstoppable shot to Leishman’s left to draw Carluke level.

The goal knocked Talbot out their rhythm for a spell but they recovered and had a great chance to regain the lead in the 42^nd minute. Samson raced clear on the right & played a great ball into the near post where Glasgow looked set to score but Kane did well to deflect his side-footed shot just wide of the left post.

In the closing seconds of the half Armstrong picked up a caution for a mistimed challenge on Neill.

The 2^nd half soon settled into a pattern of attack v defence with Carluke intent on holding out for penalties.

Talbot’s first effort of the 2^nd half came in the 52^nd minute when Armstrong set up Shankland at the edge of the area and his shot was parried away by the keeper.

In the 56^th minute Wilson swung over a good cross for Hyslop to attack but he got his angles wrong and glanced his header wide of target.

Carluke’s goal was leading a charmed life and the travelling support were beginning to wonder if it was not going to be Talbot’s day when the Bot again struck the woodwork on the hour mark. Glasgow’s low drive had the keeper beaten but it clattered the left post and the score remained tied.

Brown had made a good step earlier with his leg to deny Glasgow and he did the same again to Shankland in the 62^nd minute; stretching out his right leg to deflect away his low drive from 20 yards.

Two minutes later Talbot won a free kick in a good area after Douglas Frame clipped Shankland just outside the area with Carluke’s centre-half booked for the challenge. Shankland took it himself but got too much on it & it didn’t dip quickly enough.

Carluke were clinging on by hook or by crook and in the 68^th minute Murphy received a yellow card for time-wasting.

In the 70^th minute Talbot won a corner down the left when Wilson’s cross was blocked by Small. Shankland delivered it to the far post where Samson just failed to get on the end of it.

Finally, Talbot’s pressure paid off in the 74^th minute. Samson’s long shy from the right was only partially cleared by the defence & it fell to AIDEN WILSON 20 yards out whose half volley skipped off the surface & flew past Brown to put Talbot 2-1 ahead.

Both sides now made changes with McDowall on for Hylsop for Talbot and the home side bringing on Jamieson & Lawlor for Murphy & Neill.

With 11 minutes remaining Talbot made their 2^nd change of the afternoon with Graham Wilson replacing Samson up top.

Graham Wilson had the ball in the back of the net in the 83^rd minute but the goal didn’t stand for some unfathomable reason. Wilson met Healy’s cross from the right & steered a header onto Brown’s right post & reacted quickest to fire the rebound home. However, the assistant’s flag went up and after a consultation with the ref the goal was chalked off.

For all Talbot’s dominance a single goal lead is precarious and Talbot’s support had a nervy moment in the 84^th minute when White knocked the ball to Leishman who took his eye off it and let it run away from him before McPherson managed to clear.

In the closing stages Talbot made a final change with Robbie McCracken coming on for Shankland and Talbot able to see the game out to claim the victory.

Next up for Talbot it is another away day but this time back to league duty as they travel through to Petershill park on Wednesday night to face Rossvale.

Carluke Rovers – Brown, Kane, Murphy, Douglas Frame, Neossi, Goodall, Small, Steven Frame, Smith, Neill, Dailly

Subs – Wilson, O’Reilly, Jamieson, Lawlor, Jessimer

Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Stafford, Aiden Wilson, McPherson, White, Armstrong, Healy, Hyslop, Glasgow, Shankland, Samson

Subs – Lyle, Graham Wilson, McDowall, Boylan, Robbie McCracken, Hewitt (gk)