Report

CLINICAL TALBOT CRUSH GARTCAIRN.

Report: Jim McAuley. Photography: Craig McGhee. Media: Lee Conn

Talbot put their Scottish Cup exit behind them to record an excellent 4-0 win over Gartcairn on a sunny but bitterly cold Wednesday evening in front of a decent crowd which were treated to one of the best home performances of the season.

Right from the kick off you could sense that the team wanted to make a statement and it only took 7 minutes for it to come to fruition when Ali Boyle strode through the visitors midfield before releasing a pass into the feet of McAvoy who in turn shrugged off the attention of three Gartcairn defenders before stroking the ball past Pirie.

The pattern of the game continued in this vein and Gillies was unlucky not to score when he ghosted towards goals but his strike was cleared by the legs of Pirie.

On the 30th minute Talbot were two up thanks to an inch perfect 30 yard lob over the visitors defence found the unmarked Abed who with the keeper breathing down his neck fashioned a neat flick into the path of Connor Boyd who rifled the ball low into the net,

Gartcairn looked to be shell shocked by the Talbot pressure and right on half time it was 3-0 when a Lachan corner was headed towards goal by McPherson and although Pirie managed to beat the ball away Abed hammered the loose ball through a forest of legs and into the net.

The second half started the same as the first when McAvoy was thwarted by a great one hand save by Pirie, however it was only nine minutes into the second half when a superb Abed cross was missed by everyone except Gillies who galloped into the box and thundered the ball into the net.

Gartcairn did have their moments their best being a McGuigan miss from inside again and the big centre had another horror miss when a Ferguson shot from well out cannoned off the bar where it landed at the Gartcairn striker’s feet but he smashed the ball into the legs of Gavin,

There was then the usual flurry of substitutions which took the edge of the game, but Glasgow was unlucky to hit the side netting after the keeper had fluffed a clearance to his patch, and Smith was unlucky when his header into the turf bounced into Pirie’s arms.

A good night’s work and three points that keeps the interest in the league’s outcome.

TALBOT: Gavin. McPherson, Schoneville, Slooves, Wilson, Lachan (Urquhart), Boyle (Armstrong) , Gillies (Smith), Boyd, McAvoy (Wardrope) , Abed (Glasgow) Unused Subs: Henry, Lennox

Gartcairn: Pirie, Stevenson, McDonald, Rumsby, Dunlop, McShane (McIlveen), Ferguson, Rielly, McGuigan, Barr,  Smith (Krol)(Nicol). Unused Subs. Boyle, McNicol, Bisset GK