Report

POOR FINISHING AND COMICAL GOALS SHOCK LACK LUSTRE TALBOT.

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

Talbot have been involved in a good few cup shocks over the years but customarily as the triumphant underdog. This time the boot was on the other foot as Talbot’s unbeaten start to the season ended in an odds defying defeat to rank outsiders Lossiemouth United

This Scottish junior tie got off to an inauspicious start when Schoneville’s slack pass gifted the ball to Matczak inside the 1^st minute. He travelled through the centre before trundling a shot at goal. It looked to be heading wide but Cameron took no chances and turned it away for the corner.

Talbot’s first attack of many came in the 6^th minute. A ball over the left-back found Smith near the bye line and his cross went behind off the head of the keeper who’d raced out to make the block. When the corner came over McPherson met it but his header was comfortably saved.

Two minutes later Abed raced up the right before sliding it out to Gillies on the touchline. His cross was headed home by Smith but Gillies had went too early and the linesman’s flag put paid to Talbot’s hopes of an early opener.

In the 10^th minute Smith played it wide to find Abed who whipped over a good cross that Boyd just failed to connect with in the centre. Talbot kept the pressure on and forced a corner on the left. When Wardrope’s inswinger came in the defence failed to clear it and it fell to McPherson but he saw both his efforts at goal blocked.

Talbot nearly moved ahead in the 13^th minute. Kerr played it into Boyd’s feet on the left of the area. His low drive was blocked by Day and the rebound spun out to Gillies who steered a volley just wide of the right hand post.

The chances kept coming & Talbot kept failing to convert them. Kerr knocked it into the feet of Smith inside the area. He played it back out into the path of Boyd who lashed his shot well over the bar.

In the 26^th minute Smith managed to hold off the challenge of Gryc out on the left before turning inside him and firing a shot for goal that was blocked behind off Kane. When Wardrope’s corner came over everyone missed it in the centre and it broke off Wilson near the back post and behind for the goal kick.

Talbot conceded a free kick in a dangerous area when McPherson bundled over an opponent 22 yards out. Matczak took it but fired tamely into the wall.

32 mins gone and another half chance went a begging for Talbot. Smith squared the ball into the path of Langan in space 20 yards out but he fired well over the bar.

Two minutes later Talbot passed up a golden chance. Boyd angled a ball across to find Smith in space on the right of the area but with only the keeper to beat he drilled a low shot at Day who blocked it behind for the corner. When the corner came in no one could get on the end of it but Boyd managed to retrieve the ball and Talbot managed to work the ball to Kerr at the edge of the area whose shot flew just wide of the left hand post.

In the 36^th minute Wardrope had a go from 20 yards which flew on target but straight at the keeper who parried it away.

Talbot should have been goals up but had a let off in the 37^th minute. A free kick out by the left touchline was taken by McKay whose ball down the channel found Tinnock in acres of space just inside the penalty area but fortunately for Talbot he miscontrolled it and it came up off his hand.

The Bot’s next attack saw Wardrope pounce on a poor clearance and shift it right to find Kerr. He fired it low across goal where it came off a defender but luckily for United went straight into the arms of Day.

Three minutes before the break Schoneville had a go from 25 yards but in keeping with Talbot’s long range shooting it sailed well over.

With half-time looming Talbot finally made the breakthrough. Schoneville was given time to pick out a cross and steered it onto the head of CONNOR BOYD who glanced it across goal and inside the left post to send Talbot in ahead.

Talbot started the 2^nd half strongly and had a couple of chances in the opening minutes. Firstly Boyd got on the end of Kerr’s cross at the near post only to see his header saved by Day and a few minutes later Wardrope found Langan in the box and he shoved it wide to Smith who was caught in two minds and fired it across goal in what ended up neither a shot nor a cross

In the 49^th minute Gillies had a half chance on the left of the penalty area. He fired it low on target and Day gathered at the 2^nd time of asking. A minute later Boyd got on the end of a cross from the right touchline but couldn’t find the target with his header.

In the 51^st minute Schoneville clipped a ball over the full-back to find Smith just inside the area. He lobbed it over Day and into the net but again the linesman’s flag saw it chalked off.

The visitors now made a change with Henderson on for Murray.

For all Talbot’s dominance one nil is a precarious lead and the Bot were given a warning in the 53^rd minute. A shy from the right wasn’t dealt with and broke to Tinnock inside the area who saw his low drive blocked. This encouraged Lossiemouth and a minute later Matczak beat Abed on the outside and tried to square it across goal but Cameron cut it out at his near post.

In the 55^th minute it was all square. Smith was out-muscled in the Lossie half by MACARTHUR who carried it up the right wing before curling over a cross that deceived Cameron and floated into the far corner.

Talbot looked for an immediate response and won a free kick just up from the right corner flag for a foul on Abed. Wardrope whipped it into the near post where McPherson headed just over the bar.

In the 59^th minute Kerr laid the ball back for Wardrope to hit from 20 yards but he was leaning back as he struck it and sent it well over the bar.

In the 61^st minute Wilson lost the ball inside his own half and McPherson had to scramble back to cover – conceding a corner on the right. When the corner came into the crowded back post it broke into the path of MATCZAK whose first effort came off the right post and back out to him and this time he lashed it home to put Lossiemouth United 2-1 ahead.

Talbot went looking for a quick equaliser and were nearly caught out again. Abed got free on the right but his cutback was cleared and Lossiemouth countered down the left where Matczak paced away before trying to square it into the centre only for Langan to put it behind for the corner.

In the 64^th minute Smith sent a low ball across the face that was just missed in the centre. It came out to Abed beyond the far post who saw his low drive blocked.

Talbot now made a triple substitution with Schoneville, Langan & Smith making way for Clark, Boyle & McAvoy.

Clark had a half chance to draw Talbot level in the 67^th minute but he fired it low across goal and wide of the right post. Within a minute Talbot had another chance. Wardrope played it into the feet of McAvoy at the edge of the area and his low shot slipped just past the left post.

In the 69^th minute McAvoy tried to barrel his way through the centre of the defence. It broke loose into the path of Wardrope who was defied by a tremendous reaction save from Day to turn his shot round the left hand post.

The Bot chances kept arriving and in the 71^st minute Wardrope met a cross from the left and laid it back to Clark whose shot went wide of the left hand post.

Lossiemouth now made a further change with Allen replacing Clark.

In the 73^rd minute Clark beat a couple of men only to be sent crashing 22 yards out. Wardrope took the free kick and had the keeper beaten, only to see his effort crash off the crossbar.

A minute later Boyd gathered in the box with his back to goal and laid it back for Clark to hit but he fired over.

Twelve minutes from time Talbot missed a snip to draw level. McAvoy got free on the left of the box and chipped it across the face of goal where Clark volleyed it over the bar from close range.

The Bot’s next attack saw Gillies in space wide on the left. He went for the early angled ball across goal which McAvoy just failed to reach at the back post

In the 81^st minute Talbot conceded a free kick out by the opposition dugout for an aerial challenge. McKay floated it into the box where it was headed clear and Talbot raced onto the counter. It was worked down the line to Abed who slid it across the box to find LUKE GILLIES whose drive had enough power to beat Day who got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out.

Having levelled Talbot pressed for the winner and came close in the 83^rd minute. A ball up the right found McAvoy and he swept a dangerous low ball across to the far post which Gillies just couldn’t connect with.

The Bot’s next effort came when Boyd met Abed’s cross and sent his header off target.

The visitors now made 2 further changes with Fraser & Tinnock making way for Milton & Henderson.

Five minutes from time Wardrope let fly from just outside the box and sent a powerful shot just over the bar.

In the 87^th minute Talbot conceded a poor goal to send United into the lead. Talbot were on the attack down their left when Kerr’s slack pass was intercepted. A hopeful ball was punted up into the Talbot area where a breakdown in communication saw Cameron slow to come off his line whilst McPherson left it for the keeper, allowing MATCZAK to steal in and lift it past the stranded Cameron.

Talbot now pushed everyone forward in a last gasp drive to equalise. In the 90^th minute Bot fans knew it wasn’t to be when Day produced his 2^nd worldie of a save. McAvoy met a cross from the left at the back post and his header from close range was somehow clawed round the left post by the keeper.

As the game moved into added time there was still time for Talbot to have another 4 efforts at goal. Firstly Boyd raced down the right of the area only to see his low drive blocked by the feet of the keeper. Next to have a go was Wardrope who hammered a shot just over from 20 yards. Deep into injury time Clark had a half chance 15 yards out but sent his low drive wide of target. In the final action of the match a high ball into the box was nodded on by McPherson and met by Boyd who steered a header at Day.

A hugely disappointing result for Talbot who were left to rue too many missed chances and slack defending at the other end. There’s no time for dwelling on it though as Talbot are back in cup action next Saturday when they face a tricky away trip to Bo’ness Athletic and will be looking to bounce straight back.

Auchinleck Talbot – Cameron, Abed, Schoneville, McPherson, Wilson, Langan, Wardrope, Gillies, Boyd, Smith, Kerr

Subs – McAvoy, Nimmo, Clark, Boyle, Sime, Slooves, Armour (gk)

Lossiemouth United – Day, MacArthur, McKay, Gryc, Kane, Higgins, Clark, Fraser, Murray, Matczak, Tinnock

Subs – Cuffley, Milton, Henderson, Souter, Allen, Carr, Sim