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PHOTOGRAPHS BY PAUL FLYNN.

MURRAYS MATCH REPORT

Talbot’s never say die attitude saw the Bot come from behind to dump Pollok out the South Challenge cup in an entertaining quarter-final clash.

Talbot had an early chance to test Lok’s defence when Brownlie conceded a free kick just wide of the area following a barge on Samson. Glasgow swept a good ball over that Stafford managed to get his head onto but he headed it back across goal where it was cleared.

Pollok’s liveliest player, Grant, caused Talbot’s defence problems in the 7^th minute when he charged down Aiden Wilson’s attempted clearance & burst down the right wing before slinging a dangerous ball across goal but fortunately there was no one on the end of it.

The visitors came close in the 15^th minute when Wharton’s long throw from the left was headed on inside the penalty area and came to McCann who glanced a header just over.

Pollok were on top at this stage and threatened again when Lyon cut in off the left & curled a ball toward the far post which was headed behind for a corner.

Pollok’s next attack saw a ball out of defence find McGregor down the left. He fired it across the face of goal but there was no one in the centre to take advantage.

Despite Pollok making the early running it was Talbot who came closest to breaking the deadlock. In the 24^th minute Mason won a corner down the left and when Glasgow delivered it into the centre the Lok defence failed to clear their lines. It came to Stafford 15 yards out and his low drive was heading in but was cleared off the line inside the right hand post. It came out to Hyslop and his effort on target was turned round the post by Longmuir.

Two minutes later Pollok threatened via one of Wharton’s long throws. He hurled it into the area where it flicked off Aiden Wilson’s head and came to Fraser inside the 6-yard box but he made a poor contact with his head and it was easily saved by Leishman.

On the half hour mark Fraser fed it out to Grant on the right and he went for goal from a tight angle but drilled his shot over the bar.

In the 35^th minute Brownlie picked up a caution when he bowled over Samson.

The half then meandered to a close with neither side looking like breaking the deadlock.

Pollok made a change at the start of the 2^nd half with Horne being replaced by Forde.

It was Talbot who started the 2^nd half the brighter and the Bot threatened in the 51^st minute when Samson whipped a great ball over from the left that was just taken off the head of Glasgow as he lurked at the back post.

Two minute later Samson was involved again when his low drive from the left of the area was blocked by Longmuir. The rebound came back to him and the Lok keeper did well to recover and save his follow-up effort at his right hand post.

Talbot kept the pressure on and Robbie McCracken played a good ball into the near post from the right touchline toward Samson but his effort was blocked behind for a corner.

Hyslop received what appeared to be a harsh yellow card in the 56^th minute when he slid in and won the ball in midfield but the referee thought otherwise and gave Lok the free kick. The free kick was lifted up the right where Grant raced to the bye line before cutting it back and Healy blocked it behind for the corner. When the corner came into the near post GRANT nicked in to bullet a header into the roof of the net to put Pollok a goal ahead.

In the 61^st minute Pollok came close to doubling their lead. Once again it was a long throw-in that caused the problem. The ball came to Forde whose overhead kick sailed just wide of the left post.

Mason picked up a caution in the 66^th minute for a foul on Sideserf.

In the 69^th minute Hyslop found Samson on the left & he darted into the area past Sideserf but his ball across was blocked behind for a corner. Before the corner could be taken Talbot made a triple substitution with Shankland, Boylan and Graham Wilson coming on for Glasgow, Robbie McCracken and Mason.

Shankland was involved in the 71^st minute when McPherson found him in space on the left. He hit a good early ball across the face of goal that Brownlie sliced behind for a corner.

With quarter of an hour remaining Talbot drew level with a well-worked move. Boylan gathered on the right before squaring it across to Graham Wilson outside the area. He flighted it behind Sideserf to find Shankland racing free on the left of the area and his low ball across goal was turned home by KIER SAMSON from close range.

A minute later Talbot nearly moved in front. Samson won a free kick 35 yards out when he turned Brownlie who flattened him with a clumsy challenge. Shankland shaped up to hit it but instead angled it to the left to free Aiden Wilson on the overlap. He fizzed a ball across the face of goal which Samson met in the centre but his flick flew just over the crossbar.

In the 80^th minute Boylan had his name taken for a foul on Lyon out on the left touchline. When the free kick came over it broke to Wharton 15 yards out. He hooked a shot towards target but it was blocked in the crowded box.

Two minutes later Talbot had the ball in the back of the net but the goal didn’t stand. Boylan slipped the ball through to Samson on the right of the area and he slid it past Longmuir but the assistant’s flag went up and it was chalked off.

However, 3 minutes from time Talbot again found the back of the net and this time it counted. Graham Wilson lifted a ball down the left in behind the defence to find KIER SAMSON running through and he coolly slotted it past the keeper to put Talbot 2-1 ahead.

In the final minute of regulation time Talbot threatened again. Boylan played it into Shankland who laid it off into the path of Samson whose low drive was held by Longmuir at the 2^nd attempt.

As the game moved into added time Pollok won a free kick 30 yards from goal following a handball by Graham Wilson. Forde managed to get it up and over the wall but Leishman was well positioned to pluck it out the air.

Deep into injury time Shankland picked up a ludicrous yellow card for winning a header against Grant and shortly after the final whistle sounded and the celebrations began. Talbot will now face Sauchie in the semi-final.

Next up for Talbot it’s a midweek trip to face Darvel in a match which could go some way to deciding the outcome of the league title.

Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Stafford, Aiden Wilson, McPherson, Craig McCracken, Healy, Hyslop, Robbie McCracken, Samson, Mason, Glasgow

Subs – Shankland, Boylan, Graham Wilson, Armstrong, White, Halliday

Pollok – Longmuir, Grant, Sideserf, Wharton, Brownlie, Horne, Fraser, Esplin, S McCann, McGregor, Lyon

Subs – Forde, Bradley, Braonan, Krol, Shelvey, Evans, Lumsden