Report

Photographs by Paul Flynn.

MURRAY’S REPORT

Talbot weren’t quite at their best but did enough to see off the challenge of Forfar West End to progress to the 3rd round of the Scottish Junior cup.
The Bot got off to a strong start & only the woodwork prevented Talbot from taking the lead in the 6th minute. Clark up-ended Glasgow 25 yards out receiving a yellow card in the process. Shankland took the free kick & his effort crashed off the face of the bar with the keeper well beaten.
The next effort at goal came in the 11th minute. Harvey pinged an accurate diagonal ball to find Glasgow on the left of the area. He cut inside his marker & fired a shot on target that Thain batted away.
Talbot opened the scoring in the 13th minute. Pope lifted a ball into the area to find SEAN MCILROY. His 1st touch broke off Clark back into his path & he slotted a low shot under the advancing Thain to put Talbot 1-0 ahead.
Two minutes later Forfar’s keeper came to their rescue. Armstrong played a well-weighted ball up the right toward McIlroy. He raced clear of the defence but Thain sped out his box to clear it out for a shy.
It was all Talbot at this stage & Pope nearly added to Talbot’s lead when he let fly from long range but his shot skidded wide of the right post.
Harvey had Talbot’s next effort in the 23rd minute. Talbot won a corner out on the right that Shankland lifted to the far post. The Forfar defence cleared it but only as far as Armstrong who returned it out to Shankland on the wing. He curled a cross beyond the far post where Harvey slid in to fire it just wide.
The visitors hadn’t offered much but they did put together a slick move in the 32nd minute. A series of passes ended with Wilson cutting the ball back to Montgomery who drilled a shot straight at Leishman from 15 yards.
Five minutes later they had another attempt at goal. Thain launched it down the centre where A Walls headed it on into the path of Batchelor who hit it 1st time for 20 yards but angled his shot well wide of target.
Talbot ought to have doubled their lead in the 39th minute. The Forfar defence couldn’t clear a corner & the ball was played back out to Shankland. He swept an inch perfect cross over which Hyslop met 5 yards out but he glanced his header wide of the far post.
Two minutes later Talbot came close again from a corner. Shankland’s corner found Hyslop & he hooked it back across goal. It broke to McIlroy whose low drive was deflected wide of goal. When the 2nd corner came in Armstrong met it beyond the back post but his shot on goal was blocked.
Allan became the 2nd Forfar player in the book when he picked up a caution in the 43rd minute.
Hyslop had a half chance to put Talbot two ahead in the 44th minute. Pope flighted a free kick over to the back post where Hyslop powered a header over the bar.
Talbot paid the price for failing to take their chances when the visitors levelled with the last kick of the half. Montgomery picked up on the left of the area & squared the ball inside. BATCHELOR ran onto it & his shot took a massive deflection off McCracken to send Leishman the wrong way & send the sides in level at the interval.
Talbot started the 2nd half as though they meant business and twice in as many minutes were denied by fine saves from Thain. The keeper produced a top stop to dive low to his left to deny McIlroy when he turned & fired at goal and a minute later he spread himself well to block Glasgow’s net bound volley.
Lyle came to Talbot’s rescue in the 51st minute. Batchelor showed quick feet to dance into the Talbot area & create the space to get his shot away but Lyle dived in to block his shot away to safety.
Armstrong failed to make the most of a half chance in the 57th minute. Stephen Wilson lifted it up the centre to find McIlroy with his back to goal. He held it up before releasing it out to Armstrong in space on the right but he fired well wide of the left post.
Talbot regained the lead in the 59th minute thanks to a defensive howler. C Walls got in his keeper’s way inside the box & as they collided SEAN MCILROY was perfectly placed to roll it into the empty net.
Petrie conceded a free kick in the 65th minute for a late tackle on Stephen Wilson 25 yards out. With everyone anticipating a shot Shankland slid the ball wide of the wall to find Pope on the overlap & he crashed a shot over the bar from a tight angle.
The Bot’s next attack saw Pope sling a cross over to the far side of the area where Armstrong cushioned it down into the path of Glasgow. He tried to side-foot it home but a defender succeeded in blocking his shot at goal.
Both sides now made a change with McDowall on for Armstrong & Kemp replacing A Walls for the visitors.
The change immediately paid off as Talbot extended their lead in the 72nd minute. Shankland lifted a cross beyond the back post where McDowall headed it back across goal. HYSLOP met it in the centre & glanced a header beyond Thain.
In the 76th minute Talbot made a further change with Kemp coming on for Glasgow.
The game appeared to be over but the visitors had other ideas & reduced the leeway with 10 minutes remaining. They won a free kick out on the left which was angled into the centre where McMahon glanced a header off the bar. When the rebound came out MCMAHON reacted quickest to prod it home from close range.
Tucker made Talbot’s final change in the 83rd minute with White on in place of Shankland.
Talbot finally killed the tie off in the 85th minute thanks to a superb finish. McIlroy flicked a ball on into the path of CALVIN KEMP on the left 30 yards out. He hit it 1st time, lifting a shot over the stranded keeper & into the roof of the net to make it 4-2.
Two minutes later Talbot nearly added to their lead. Kemp’s cross was headed off his own bar Robertson & when it rebounded out McDowall hammered a shot at goal that was deflected just wide.
In the closing stages Talbot picked up two late bookings, firstly Kemp for kicking the ball away & then White for a trip on Montgomery but there were no further chances for either side & Talbot saw the game out for the win.
Not a vintage display but a deserved win & Talbot now return to league action next Saturday when they host Glenafton.

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

Subs – Kemp, McDowall, White, McPherson, Hewitt (gk)

Forfar West End – Thain, C Walls, Robertson, Clark, McMahon, Allan, Petrie, Wilson, Batchelor, Montgomery, A Walls

Subs – Hart, Reynolds, Weir, Kemp, George