Auchinleck Talbot v Petershill

Report

MURRY’S MATCH REPORT
Talbot turned in their best performance of the season to date to sweep aside the Peasies 4-1; a score line that flattered the visitors.
From the 1st whistle Talbot looked the hungrier and more composed side and put Petershill under pressure right from the off.
The first effort at goal came in the 7th minute. Wilson played it inside to Milliken who swept it across the box for Young but he didn’t connect fully and slid his shot well wide of target.
A quickly taken free kick caught the Peasies cold in the 9th minute, sending Young free down the right. He fired it across the face of goal where only a last ditch interception by Brough prevented a certain goal.
White then came close to putting Talbot in front. He raced onto Hyslop’s short pass & ran through on goal only for McNeil’s left leg to deflect his shot wide of the left post.
Petershill weren’t switched on and were caught napping at a quickly taken corner. Pope rolled the ball out to Milliken who let fly from 20 yards but straight at the keeper.
Tucker was forced into an early change after 17 minutes when Boyd was caught with a late tackle and limped off to be replaced by Latta.
The Peasies defence was hanging by a thread and had another lucky escape in the 19th min. Pope’s ball down the left found Young and he hit a great first time ball into the centre which Brough hooked over his own bar.
Petershill’s first effort at goal came in the 20th minute. Hynes showed good feet to cut inside and create the room for a shot but his left foot effort from the edge of the box swerved well wide of goal.
The opening goal came in the 22nd minute. McGoldrick lifted a ball down to the left corner flag which Young chased down, winning a corner off Kennedy. Pope fired the corner over to the far side of the 6-yard box where Campbell directed it back across goal for MILLIKEN to run onto and head home from close range.
Talbot took complete control of the match two minutes later when they added a quick second goal to double their lead. Wilson was clipped just outside the penalty area and WILSON took the free kick himself, curling a peach of a shot over the wall and inside McNeil’s right post.
Milliken was popping up all over the place and had a good chance to put Talbot 3 ahead in the 28th minute. He raced through one on one with the keeper but sent his shot against the foot of the leftt hand post. Wilson gathered the ball out on the right and slung a cross into the centre which McNeil plucked out the air.
F Chisholm received a booking for the visitors on the half hour mark for a poor challenge on White in the centre of the park.
Talbot continued to dominate but it wasn’t until the closing minutes of the half that they turned their possession into clear cut chances.
In the 44th minute Pope’s cross into the middle was headed out but went straight to Milliken in space 16 yards out and he sent a low left foot drive just wide of the left post.
Just before the half time whistle Hyslop ghosted past Bradley and whipped a good cross into the goal mouth. Once again the defence got no great distance on the clearing header and it came out to Young who curled a shot wide of the left hand post, and so the sides went in with Talbot two goals to the good.
The 2nd half continued just where the 1st left off and Talbot nearly added to their lead within a minute of the re-start. Yet again the Peasies were slow to react at a set piece and when the corner was played back to Latta, his cross cum shot dipped just past the far post with McNeil scrambling.
A good ball over the top sent Young through on the right and J Chisholm did well at full stretch to cut out Young’s cutback in the centre.
Petershill made their 1st change on 49 minutes with Shields on in place of F Chisholm.
Talbot put together a good move in the 51st minute that only lacked the finishing touch. Milliken flicked the ball onto Wilson in the centre and he quickly switched play out to the left to find Young. He swept a great low ball across the 6-yard area which Wilson missed by inches for a tap in.
For all Talbot’s dominance a Peasies goal could have changed things and Hynes powerful strike from outside the area was heading on target until McGoldrick’s head got in the way.
Other than clutching a few floated crosses Leishman had been under occupied all afternoon but he produced a fine stop in the 54th minute. Bradley, comfortably Petershill’s best player on the day, swung a dangerous cross over to the back post. Pope dived to head it behind but got t wring and it looked an o.g all the way until Leishman dived to his left to turn it around the post.
After this mini wobble Talbot put the game to bed with a well-worked 3rd goal in the 55th minute. White started the move feeding the ball out to Pope. He passed it to Wilson at the edge of the box who laid the ball off to MILLIKEN who cut across the box before dispatching it into the bottom corner off his weaker right foot.
Petershill now made a further change with Davidson coming on to replace Daly.
The Peasies defence were slow learners and they were caught flat-footed again at Talbot’s 4th goal. Milliken was fouled out on the left touchline and Pope showed quick thinking to take the free kick early, sending a low ball into the near post where YOUNG buried it from 5 yards out.
A minute later Milliken had a great chance to extend Talbot’s lead. Young clipped a ball over the head of Brough to send Milliken through on goal but he failed to beat the advancing keeper who blocked his shot behind for the corner.
Milliken had another go at goal in the 62nd minute when he beat the offside trap before lashing a shot over the bar from wide on the left.
Hynes had an opportunity to nab a consolation effort in the 64th minute when he got his head onto Bradley’s cross; however he glanced his header wide of target.
Chisholm had his name taken in the 69th minute when he tripped Wilson outside the area. Wilson took it but couldn’t replicate his strike of the 1st half and fired over the wall but over the bar.
Tucker made two changes in rapid succession bringing on Shankland for Wilson and then Steven Wilson came on for Hyslop.
It didn’t take Shankland long to make an impact. He took a great touch out on the right to create the space for himself before sweeping a cross over which Milliken headed on target but it went straight at McNeil.
Shankland then combined well with Steven Wilson sending Wilson through on the right. He burst into the area and tried to fire it back across goal but McNeil cut it out at his near post.
With the game won Talbot took their foot off the pedal and the closing stages meandered along with Talbot still on top but lacking the urgency in the final 3rd to add to their tally.
As the game moved into injury time Petershill snatched a late consolation effort. Hynes sped down the right into the area and squared it across for CRAIG to slot home.
This was an impressive display by Talbot who maintained their 100% start to the league whilst doing their goal difference no harm either. Next up for Talbot is an away day at Cumbernauld to face Rob Roy.