Report

Photographs by Paul Flynn.

Report by Murray Steele

All good things must come to an end & Talbot’s unbeaten start to 2018 came to a grinding halt as they lost 3-1 to a Clydebank in a match where Talbot paid the price for failing to put away numerous chances in the 1st half.
The game started as well as could be expected with Talbot carving out the 1st clear opening in the 8th minute. Hyslop found Steven Wilson on the overlap & Shankland met his cross 6 yards out but steered his header straight at Lumsden.
A minute later Talbot took the lead. McIlroy burst down the left & lifted a cross to the back post where Hyslop guided a free header home to make it 1-0.
Talbot nearly doubled their lead in the 14th minute. Hyslop’s pass sent Graham Wilson free on the left & he carried on into the area before lifting a shot over Lumsden. It smacked off the face of the bar & came out to McIlroy but he was closed down before he could tuck the rebound home & his low drive was blocked. The ball broke out to Steven Wilson & he fired over the bar from 15 yards.
Two minutes later Pope was unfortunate not to add to Talbot’s lead. Shankland’s corner from the right came to him 10 yards out & he took it on the half volley drilling a shot inches wide of the left hand upright.
It was all Talbot & the next chance came to McIlroy. Pope bent a good ball down the left to find him inside the area but he got his angles wrong & shot wide of the right post.
Pope then tried his luck from distance, shooting just wide of the left post from 35 yards after Steven Wilson squared the ball to him.
Talbot’s next effort at goal came in the 25th minute. Graham Wilson fed the ball back to Pope who slung a dangerous cross over that the Bankies defence failed to clear. It came out to Shankland at the edge of the area & he volleyed it on target but straight at the keeper who turned it over the bar.
When the corner came over Pope arrowed a header on target that had the keeper well-beaten but a defender was on hand to clear it off the line. The Bankies couldn’t clear their lines & the ball came to Graham Wilson on the left. He went for precision rather than power, attempting to pass it into the net & Lumsden got down to his left to touch it away.
Hyslop picked up the 1st caution of the afternoon when he was penalised for a late challenge on Paterson.
Clydebank’s 1st close call came in the 32nd minute. McClair passed it inside to Higgins & he fired just over the bar from the edge of the area.
As the weather deteriorated so did the match itself with play becoming scrappy & confined to the middle third.
With half time approaching Talbot had two further chances to put some daylight between themselves & the Bankies. Firstly, McIlroy teed it up for Steven Wilson deep inside the penalty area but he blasted his shot off Paterson & the referee dismissed Talbot’s shouts that it had struck the defender’s arm.
Talbot’s final chance came two minutes before the interval. Forsyth fouled Shankland 30 yards out & Shankland took the setpiece himself; firing it over the wall & a whisker wide of the right post, and so for all their dominance Talbot left the field only a goal to the good.
The 2nd half was only a minute old when Talbot were given a warning of what was to come. Lyle was caught out by a ball down the left & Higgins was able to make tracks down the left before firing a shot well wide of goal.
Action then switched to the other end where Steven Wilson’s ball down the line found the run of McIlroy. He whipped a good early cross into the goal mouth where Graham Wilson was lurking but the Bankies defended it well.
The game was all square in the 50th minute thanks to a wonder strike. HIGGINS cut in off the left & curled an inch perfect shot into the top left corner giving Leishman no chance.
Talbot tried to respond swiftly & had a golden chance to regain the lead within a minute. Graham Wilson sent Shankland through on the left & he cut inside before trying to slide the ball low past the keeper. Lumsden dived low to block it but it still was floating into the net until a Bankies defender raced back to head it off the line.
This proved a turning point as the Bankies then went down the other end and took the lead. It was a poor goal to lose from a Talbot point of view. DEAS being allowed to gather unchallenged midway inside the Bot half & carry the ball forward before firing a low drive that seemed to head inside the right post in slow motion.
Once again Talbot took the game to the Bankies & went looking for an immediate riposte. Hyslop’s volley from 12 yards flying on target but too near the keeper who was able to parry it away.
Steven Wilson squandered a decent chance in the 59th minute. Shankland did well on the left & pulled it back for Wilson to run onto unchallenged at the edge of the box but he ballooned his shot high over.
It was game over in the 61st minute when Talbot conceded for the 3rd time. Leishman misjudged a ball down the left channel, racing off his line to come for it & HIGGINS took full advantage, lobbing the ball over him & inside the far post.
Tucker made a double substitution in the 67th minute with Glasgow on for Shankland down the left & Faulds replacing White in the centre.
Talbot huffed & puffed in the closing 20 minutes but the damage had already been done & they were unable to find a way back into the match with the Bankies dropping deep to defend their lead.
A sore one to take but onwards and upwards & now Talbot’s focus switches back to the cups as they start a run of 4 consecutive cup ties with the visit of St Roch’s to Beechwood in the West of Scotland.

Clydebank – Lumsden, Vezza, Paterson, Pearson, Darroch, Forsyth, McClair, Deas, Shelvey, Higgins, Cunningham

Subs – Watt, McLean, McAnespie, Morrison

Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, McPherson, Harvey, S Wilson, Hyslop, White, G Wilson, McIlroy, Shankland

Subs- Glasgow, Armstrong, Thomson, Faulds, McCracken

Read more: http://auchinlecktalbotfc.proboards.com/thread/8030/clydebank-3-talbot-1#ixzz5Az2f1eCG