Report

TALBOT PROGRESS IN THE WEST OF SCOTLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE CUP

Report: Murray Steele, Photography: Craig McGhee, Media: Lee Conn.

A 2nd half goal blitz saw Talbot turn around this tie and bundle Troon out of the West of Scotland cup at a rain soaked Beechwood

The first half chance of the afternoon went the visitors way in the 7th minute when a quickly taken free kick was chipped up the centre towards Fulton who just failed to get on it as it ran through to Glavin.

Talbot’s first chance came in the 10th minute when Wardrope combined with Glasgow outside the area before Jamie drove into the box where Burgess did well to stick out a leg to clear.

Docherty was fortunate to escape a caution in the 18th minute for a late challenge with the referee content just to award Talbot the free kick.

The Bot had a great chance to open the scoring in the 22nd minute. McPherson flighted it down the middle and with the Troon defence posted missing McAvoy raced in on goal but took one touch too many allowing Burgess to race off his line and make the block.

Two minutes later Talbot passed up another good opportunity. Glasgow won a corner down the left that Wardrope took short to Langan. He swung over a great cross that found Boyd in front of goal but he tried to head it down and across to McAvoy and it ran behind him and went wide of the far post.

On the half hour mark the Bot defence were caught ball watching when an up & under came in off the right touchline. The ball bounced through to Gilroy in space on the left of the area and Glavin did well to touch his shot onto the crossbar.

Three minutes later and Troon took the lead. The ball was fed out to Black in space on the right and when he drilled it low across the box it broke into the path of SHANKLAND who tucked it away from 8 yards out.

Talbot pushed hard to try and get back on level terms and came close on a number of occasions in quick succession. In the 41st minute Black fouled Glasgow just wide of the penalty area. Glasgow took it quickly and it came across to Boyd whose low drive was heading inside the left post till Burgess dived to turn it wide.

When the subsequent corner came over McPherson met it and powered a header on target that Burgess turned over the bar. The next corner was pulled back low where Langan ran onto it and drilled a low shot on target that Burgess again did well to stop with his outstretched leg. Having survived a few scares Troon were able to hold out and went in at the break a goal to the good.

The Bot came out strongly at the start of the 2nd period and threatened the Troon goal within a minute of the restart. The ball was worked

down the right to Boyd whose cross looked destined to land at the unmarked Glasgow at the back post but Docherty did well to stretch and head it behind.

In the 48th minute Talbot won a free kick out on the left after Morrison’s foul on Glasgow. Wardrope angled it over toward the far post where McAvoy headed it back across goal for CONNOR BOYD to drill it into the bottom corner to level the score.

Troon reacted positively to the setback and had a chance to regain the lead in the 50th minute. They won a free kick out on the right touchline that Black whipped into the centre. It was flicked on off a Troon head and came to Smith but came at him too quickly for him to control it and he headed wide of the far post.

The visitors now made a change with Dunlop on in place of Fulton.

A minute later Troon were back on the attack through Shankland on the left of Talbot’s box. He tried to fire it across goal from a tight angle and Glavin turned it behind at his near post.

Over the years there have been some outstanding goals at Beechwood but there won’t have been many as bizarre as the one that gave Talbot the lead in the 53rd minute. NEIL SLOOVES met a Troon ball inside his own half and punted it down the centre. There appeared no danger as McAvoy raced after it but Burgess badly misjudged the bounce and just stood spectating as the ball skipped up off the surface and sailed inside his right hand post.

In the 59th minute Troon made a further change with Boyd replacing Gallagher and a few minutes later Talbot made their first sub of the afternoon with Smith on for McAvoy.

McCloskey had his name taken in the 63rd minute for a shirt pull resulting in a Bot free kick 35 yards out. Wardrope decided to try his luck and hammered a low drive on target that took Burgess several attempts before securing.

Troon ought to have been a man short in the 66th minute. Moore threw himself into a tackle he was never going to win and caught Gillies late. It looked both late & reckless but the referee seemed to take pity on the Troon man who’d injured himself into the bargain and only booked him when he hobbled to his feet.

Moore didn’t last much longer and in the 70th minute made way for Millar.

The next goal was going to be crucial and it went Talbot’s way in the 72nd minute. Boyd did well to close down his Troon namesake and block his attempted ball up the line. He then raced up the left wing and played it across the area where JAMIE GLASGOW coolly side-footed it inside the left post to make it 3-1.

Tucker now made a double switch with Wardrope & Glasgow making way for Urquhart & Lennox.

With quarter of an hour remaining Morrison cracked a low drive on goal from 25 yards but straight at Glavin who held it comfortably.

Two minutes later Docherty found himself in the book when he caught Smith. Langan took the resultant free kick and played it into the centre where the ball pinged about for a bit before falling to Smith whose low drive was held by Burgess.

Down the other end McPherson picked up a caution for holding on Gilroy just wide of the penalty area. The free kick was whipped into the middle where Glavin managed to punch it clear.

Talbot made sure of the victory in the 81st minute when they grabbed their 4th. Smith did well down the left jinking past Boyd before feeding it down the wing to Lennox. He cut it back across goal where ALI BOYLE ran onto it to sweep it home from 6 yards out.

The Bot threatened to score again soon after when Urquhart played it into the feet of Smith who weaved his way into the area but under pressure he pulled his shot wide of target.Talbot now made another double substitution with Boylan & Schoneville on for Boyd & Gillies.

Four minutes from time Talbot came close again. Boylan gathered on the right of the area and switched it onto his left foot before sending a cross beyond the back post to pick out Schoneville. He fizzed it on target and Burgess did well to turn it round his right hand post.

Talbot saw out the remainder with little fuss to secure the win. A very good 2nd half from Talbot who certainly upped it a couple of gears after the break. Next up for Talbot it’s back to cup action, though this time in the Scottish Junior, when they travel through to Alexandria to face Vale of Leven next Saturday.

Auchinleck Talbot – Glavin, McPherson, Gillies, Slooves, Wilson, Boyle, Langan, Wardrope, Boyd, McAvoy, Glasgow

Subs – Smith, Boylan, Urquhart, Lennox, Abed, Schoneville, Henry (gk)

Troon – Burgess, McCloskey, Docherty, Smith, Morrison, Black, Shankland, Gilroy, Moore, Fulton, Gallagher

Subs – McLevy, Boyd, Dunlop, Strain, Millar, Brown, Fisher (gk)