Report

MURRAYS REPORT

Nothing lasts forever and Talbot’s long unbeaten run was ended last night in front of a bumper crowd against Darvel.

Talbot have picked up an unfortunate habit of starting slowly and so it proved again with the visitors grabbing the lead after only 4 minutes.

Darvel won a corner down the right which was delivered at pace and MARR raced onto it to power a free header past Leishman to put Darvel one ahead.

The Bot almost drew level in the 8^th minute. Stafford ran onto a shy and raced past Allan before slinging over a cross that cannoned off the face of the bar and away to safety.

Clear cut chances were few & far between in the opening exchanges. Good work down the left saw Graham Wilson send Aiden Wilson away on the overlap and he swept a good across the face of the 6-yard area but there were no Bot players to take advantage.

The next shot on target came in the 24^th minute when Darvel’s Kirkpatrick tried an ambitious effort from 35 yards which landed on target but straight at Leishman.

Talbot drew level on the half hour mark. McPherson floated it up the centre where Hyslop won the header on. Boylan jousted for it with a defender inside the area and the ball broke back to KIER SAMSON whose low strike trundled home courtesy of a deflection.

The game had barely re-started when Talbot were caught cold and conceded their 2^nd. The ball was switched out to Miller on the right touchline who got away before sliding it across toward the far post where FERGUSON side-footed it home to restore Darvel’s lead.

The goal rattled Talbot and two minutes later they conceded a free kick just outside the penalty area which Miller curled into the defensive wall.

In the 36^th minute Meggatt put pressure on his keeper with a short back-pass that Samson chased down but the ball didn’t break for Talbot when Kier blocked Truesdale’s clearance.

With 41 mins gone Ferguson had his name taken for high feet in a challenge with McCracken and two minutes later he was joined in the book by Talbot’s Boylan for a foul on Allan.

In the final minute of the half Talbot won a free kick in a promising area after Graham Wilson was clipped by Marr as he surged towards the penalty area. Hyslop took it but fired his shot well over to end the half.

In similar fashion to Saturday’s clash with Hulford, Talbot came out with more purpose after the interval and made the early running. In the 51^st minute Boylan raced clear on the right and slung over a dangerous cross that Meggatt did well to intercept & head over his own bar with Samson lurking in front of goal.

A few minutes later McCracken’s ball out of defence found Graham Wilson breaking clear down the left. His 1^st touch took it away from goal but he recovered it and swept a good cross into the centre that was cleared out as far as Hyslop who fired wide of target from 20 yards.

The Bot had another chance in the 56^th minute when Aiden Wilson raced in off the left and tried to break into the box. He was baulked but the ball squeezed through to Samson inside the area and his low drive was blocked by Truesdale at his right hand post.

Another half chance came Talbot’s way on the hour mark. Hyslop’s head flick on found Samson in space down the right of the penalty area but he delayed his shot a fraction & a defender was able to get across to block his effort.

A minute later Talbot had an effort on target when the ball fell to Hyslop on the left of the area. He got off a left foot strike but it lacked the power to really test the keeper.

Darvel hadn’t been seen much in the 2^nd half but in the 65^th minute Miller found himself in space on the right but his cross had too much on it and sailed over Kirkpatrick at the far post.

Talbot now made their 1^st change with Shankland coming on for Graham Wilson.

The Bot had a chance to test the Darvel defence in the 69^th minute when Darvel were penalised for handball out on the right. Shankland put in a good delivery but Stirling made a good defensive header to clear.

Darvel now made their first change with Thomson replacing Kirkpatrick.

Talbot won a free kick out on the left in the 72^nd minute for a hefty challenge on Shankland. He took the set piece & whipped it into the centre. It was cleared out to Boylan at the edge of the area but he lashed his shot well over.

It just wasn’t happening for Talbot in the final third; a fact underlined in the 73^rd minute when Samson slid a great ball through to release Boylan down the right of the area but his 1^st touch took him too wide and the chance was lost.

A minute later Shankland had a half chance at the edge of the area but blazed it way off target.

The visitors now made their 2^nd change with Boland on for Miller.

Darvel could & probably should have sealed it in the 76^th minute. Stirling’s ball from the right went straight to Thomson in front of goal but he side-footed it well wide of the far post.

The visitors managed to see the final 10 minutes out without too many alarms. Talbot threw on two late substitutions with Mason on for Boylan & McDowall replacing Armstrong but they had no real time to make an impact. The closing minutes of the game saw a further rush of names into the notebook with Healy cautioned for a foul and Stafford yellow carded for dissent before Marr received a late caution for tripping McPherson.

It wasn’t Talbot’s night but the Bot remain top of the table – 3 points clear of nearest challengers Pollok. Next up for Talbot it’s our inaugural game in the South Challenge cup where Talbot host Forth Wanderers.

Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Stafford, Aiden Wilson, McPherson, Craig McCracken, Armstrong, Healy, Hyslop, Boylan, Graham Wilson, Samson

Subs – Shankland, McDowall, Mason, Robbie McCracken, Lyle, White, Hewitt

Darvel – Truesdale, Meggatt, Marr, Reid, Allan, Miller, McShane, Stirling, Kirkpatrick, Ferguson

Subs – Avcii, Black, Mitchell, Boland, Walker, Little, Thomson