Report

TALBOT TO THE FOUR.

Report: Murray Steele, Photo’s Craig McGhee, Media: Lee Conn.

Talbot bounced back well from last week’s disappointment to sweep aside Bo’ness Athletic in the 2nd round of the South Challenge cup.

The Bot could have grabbed an early opener. A ball over from the left found Sime 6 yards out but his side-footed finish went straight at the keeper.

The Bot’s next attack saw Wardrope find Smith free on the right. He had Sime in space on the far side but went for the shot and his effort was blocked.

In the 12^th minute a pass down the right found Wardrope breaking in behind the defence. He carried on into the box and might have went for goal but opted to square it across goal where a defender managed to cut it out.

Quarter of an hour in Talbot had another decent chance to take the lead. Schoneville whipped over a great cross from the left that Boyd met at the near post but his header flew wide of the right hand post.

In the 26^th minute McPherson became the first name in the book when he was cautioned for kicking the ball away after conceding a free kick just wide of the box. Ogilvie took it and his cross was headed clear by Schoneville.

Half an hour gone and Wright received a yellow card for a blatant shirt tug just inside the Bo’ness half.

A minute later Talbot passed up a golden chance to score. A ball straight down the middle cleared the defence and found Smith at the edge of the area. The keeper had raced out to close the angle and anywhere over him or to either side was a certain goal but Smith’s shot flew into his midriff.

In the 39^th minute Sime gathered out on the right and curled a left foot cross over to the back post where Gillies headed wide.

Within a minute Talbot had another half chance. Smith tried to slip a ball through to Boyd inside the area that was well cut out. Gillies retrieved it wide on the left and swung over a cross that Smith glanced wide of target.

Neither side could make any further headway in the closing minutes of the half and the teams went in goal less at the interval.

The home side made a change at the start of the 2^nd period with Wilsdon coming on.

Talbot’s team talk at half-time seemed to do the trick and the Bot were on the front foot from the start of the 2^nd half. In the opening minute Wright barged Boyd over conceding a free kick out wide on the left. Wardrope squared it inside to Smith who cut into the left of the area and dinked a ball across goal that a defender lashed over his own bar. When Wardrope’s corner came over it just cleared Slooves’ head at the back post.

In the 48^th minute Talbot won a penalty. Boyd headed it down & inside to Smith who rolled a pass into the heart of the box. Both Boyd & Sime went for it & Sime was taken down by Wright’s sliding challenge. The ref pointed to the spot and probably should have sent Wright packing for a 2^nd bookable offence. MICK WARDROPE took the spot kick and sent Currid the wrong way to put Talbot 1-0 ahead.

Talbot doubled their lead in the 55^th minute. Gillies played it on to find Boyd on the right of the area and he cut it back into the path of AUSTIN SIME who slotted home to make it 2-0.

Bo’ness had offered little threat but did have a half chance in the 57^th minute. Heaver’s cross from the left was headed clear and came out to Mitchell 19 yards out who drove it low and wide of the right post.

Talbot were then immediately back on the attack when a ball over the top towards Smith forced Currid to race out his area to make the block.

On the hour mark Wilsdon received a caution for nearly pulling the shirt off the back of Wardrope.

Bo’ness now made a further change with Husband on for Weir.

Talbot were in cruise control but calamity struck in the 63^rd minute when the Bot conceded a goal straight out of the what happened next round from A Question of Sport. A hit & hope ball was played from the home side’s left back area up the centre and there appeared to be no danger. However, Armour had raced out his area to clear with Slooves leaving it for the keeper only for the ball to sail past Armour who couldn’t catch up with it as it carried on into the empty net to make it 2-1.

The goal momentarily fazed Talbot and in the 64^th minute Husband cut in on his left foot and fired over the bar from 25 yards out.

Three minutes later and it was almost all square. Abed surged out from the back into the centre of the pitch only to see his pass intercepted. Athletic countered and Nimmo saw his effort from 20 yards curl just wide of the left hand post.

Abed seemed to have picked up a knock and had to be replaced with Clark coming on at right-back and the home side also made a further change with Sharples on for Ogilvie.

In the 71^st minute a ball up the right found Nimmo who managed to cut inside past Schoneville but McPherson got across to cover. He thought he’d cleared his lines but despite his protests and in the absence of any linesmen the ref awarded the corner to Bo’ness. Talbot didn’t clear their lines initially and the ball pinballed around for a bit before being cleared.

Talbot’s next attack saw Smith touch the ball off to Clark on the right of the area. He looked to be in for a shot at goal but a well-timed tackle saw it put behind for the corner.

In the 75^th minute Gillies was fouled in the air 25 yards out but play was allowed to go on through Smith who saw his shot from the left of the area blocked behind for a corner. When Wardrope’s corner came over Slooves looked set to score but headed over the bar from 6 yards out.

Talbot now made a double change with Sime & Smith making way for Langan & Nimmo.

Bo’ness won a corner down the right in the 79^th minute. When the corner came over Smith met it but glanced his header well wide of the right post.

In the 83^rd minute Talbot made their final change with McAvoy replacing Boyd. The sub was involved immediately – meeting a free kick to cushion header inside to Wardrope whose shot found the target but lacked the power to test the keeper.

It was game over in the 84^th minute when Talbot grabbed their 3^rd of the afternoon. KYLE MCAVOY was allowed to turn just outside the box and he drilled a low shot across the keeper and inside the right post to make it 3-1.

Three minutes from time Talbot broke down the right through McAvoy. It was then switched square to find Schoneville on the opposite wing who fed it onto the overlapping Gillies. He fired it across goal but got too much on it.

A minute later Gillies lifted a dangerous cross over from the left that McAvoy just failed to connect with in front of goal.

A minute from time Talbot wrapped it up with their 4^th goal. A free kick was floated into the box where the keeper came from his line to gather. Nimmo beat him to it and got the slightest of head flicks to lift it over him where LUKE GILLIES headed it into the empty net.

A comfortable away win for Talbot who controlled most of the match, bar for a sticky spell after conceding. Next up for Talbot it’s back to league duties when they travel to the coast to face Largs

Bo’ness Athletic – Currid, Mitchell, Smith, Wright, Woodburn, Nimmo, Weir, Ogilvie, Cunningham, Macdonald, Heaver.  SUBS – Husband, Wilsdon, Cameron, Shanks, Sharples

Auchinleck Talbot – Armour, Abed, Schoneville, McPherson, Slooves, Boyle, Wardrope, Gillies, Boyd, Smith, Sime.  Subs – McAvoy, Nimmo, Langan, Clark, Kerr, Walker, Cameron