Report

A history making night for Talbot as they overwhelmed Muirkirk 16-0 to record the Bot’s biggest ever win.
The goal glut started early with the Bot taking the lead inside 3 minutes. Kemp flighted a cross straight onto the head of HYSLOP & he guided a header back across goal to make it 1-0.
Talbot doubled their lead after 6 minutes. A ball over the top found G WILSON racing into the area & he slotted it past the advancing keeper to put Talbot 2-0 ahead.
In the 9th minute Talbot were awarded a penalty after J Anderson sent Kemp to the turf inside the box. SHANKLAND took the spot kick & fired it low past Wilson to make it 3-0.
A minute later it was almost four. Wilson fired a dangerous ball in from the left which Shankland just failed to meet in the centre. It came to McCracken wide of the far post & he clattered a shot off the upright. McCracken reacted first to reach the ball out on the right & played it back across goal where Wilson did well to foil Thomson; blocking his shot at his left post.
The goal was only marginally delayed though & Talbot moved 4-0 ahead in the 11th minute. SHANKLAND floated a delightful lob over the helpless keeper from the left side of the penalty area.
On the quarter hour mark Talbot went 5-0 ahead. Harvey lifted a cross in from the left touchline & WEIR beat Wilson to it in the air to nod it into the empty net.
Muirkirk made a change in the 20th minute with Beveridge replacing Steveson.
Just when Muirkirk thought things couldn’t get any worse they did. Hyslop’s ball up the left wing sent G Wilson scurrying free & he was taken out by Muirkirk’s keeper. The referee judged it worthy of a straight red and off went the goalie. Muirkirk now took Peck off in order to bring on their sub keeper, Platt.
Talbot were knocking the ball around like a training exercise, with Muirkirk chasing shadows, and the only wonder is it took until the 36th minute for goal number 6 to arrive.
Hyslop found Shankland on the left & he squared it across the 6 yard area where G WILSON ran onto it to squeeze a shot past Platt.
A minute later Muirkirk had their one & only chance of the evening. Ballantyne skipped past Weir inside the area & his effort was deflected against the outside of Leishman’s right post.
Talbot’s 7th goal and Muirkirk’s 2nd red card both arrived in the 44th minute. McIntyre conceded a penalty for up-ending Kemp inside the area & once again Shankland took it. This time he hit it low to the keeper’s right & Platt guessed right to make the save. The ball rebounded back to Shankland who was poised to knock it home from close range until barged to the deck by Millar who got his marching orders for denying a clear goal scoring opportunity. G WILSON now took over from the spot & buried it to make the half-time score Talbot 7 Muirkirk 0.
Tucker made 3 changes at the interval with McIlroy, Glasgow & Pope coming on for G Wilson, Shankland & Weir.
The three subs were all involved within a minute of the re-start, McIlroy sending the ball in from the left, Glasgow touching it back & Pope driving a shot just over the bar.
Talbot’s 8th came in the 49th minute. McIlroy had the time & space to pick out a cross & find the unmarked GLASGOW in the centre & he steered a header home from close range.
Three minutes later Talbot extended their lead. Harvey raced down the right before cutting the ball back to GLASGOW who swept it home from 15 yards.
The Bot made it to double figures in the 55th minute. Once again McIlroy got free down the left & knocked it into the centre. Glasgow teed it up for KEMP who drilled a low shot past Platt to make it 10 nil.
There was no let up from Talbot & the 11th goal arrived after 68 minutes. Pope dinked a perfectly weighted ball over the defence which MCILROY guided inside the right post.
Talbot made it a round dozen in the 76th minute. Pettigrew played a good ball down the left to release GLASGOW & he calmly passed it into the net to complete his hat-trick.
One minute later & Talbot grabbed their 13th, a top quality finish from MCILROY who met Harvey’s ball over from the right & volleyed it first time into the roof of the net.
The goals were now arriving with the regularity of PPI nuisance calls and in the 79th minute Talbot stretched their lead to 14 to no reply when McIlroy cut the ball back across goal where GLASGOW met it, back to goal, and turned before shooting home.
The Bot very nearly made it 15 in the 82nd minute. Muirkirk’s sub, S Anderson, was woefully short with an attempted passback allowing Kemp to intercept inside the area. He crashed a shot off the base of the left post which flew back out to Glasgow who slid it wide of the far post with the goal gaping.
Talbot equalled their biggest ever winning margin a minute later. KEMP was hauled back just outside the Muirkirk penalty area & took the resultant free kick; striking it just inside the right post to leave the keeper with no chance.
Two minutes from time Talbot completed the rout, assisted by a blunder from a Muirkirk defender, who attempted to head it back to his keeper. He only succeeded in sending GLASGOW free on the right side of the penalty area & he stroked it home to score his 5th and Talbot’s 16th.
As wins go this was about as comprehensive as it gets, Talbot utterly dominating the 90 minutes, and turning that dominance into goals. Next up for Talbot it is the start of the league campaign as the Bot travel through to Cumbernauld for a tricky away fixture against Rob Roy.

Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Weir, Harvey, McPherson, Pettigrew, Thomson, Hyslop, McCracken, G Wilson, Shankland, Kemp

Subs – McIlroy, Glasgow, Pope, S Wilson, White

Muirkirk – Wilson, Ross, Peck, Rodgers, McIntyre, J Anderson, McGuire, Millar, Condon, Ballantyne, Steveson

Subs – Campbell, Beveridge, S Anderson, Barrie, Platt