Talbot lost out to a late winner as they slumped to a disappointing away defeat at Darvel.

The game started well enough for Talbot who were quickly onto the front foot in a first half they largely dominated but all Talbot had to show for their early efforts were a number of corners that came to nothing.

The first effort on target came in the 19th minute. Wardrope’s deep cross from the right was laid off by Sime into the path of Gillies who drilled it low back across goal where it deflected off Boyd and straight to the keeper.

In the 23rd min Boyle showed good feet in the centre to wriggle free before releasing Wardrope out right. He fed it onto McAvoy who saw his low drive blocked by a defender.

A minute later McAvoy nearly gave Talbot the lead when he got in behind down the right and saw his lob clip the top of the bar.

All Talbot’s early pressure came to nothing though and they were sucker punched in the 29th minute when Darvel took the lead. The home side worked it down their right to find Barbour and he had the time to look up before pulling it back across the area to find MURPHY unmarked and he passed it beyond Armour.

The game then continued as before with Talbot pushing forward and forcing corners but without really threatening the Darvel goal.

In the 38th minute Talbot were nearly caught out again defensively when a ball over the top found Lewis down the left and he managed to cut inside into the area but his shot was blocked.

Two minutes later Talbot ought to have levelled it. Gillies won it down the left and swept a good cross over which Boyd met 6 yards out but he steered his shot straight at Wilson.

In the 43rd minute Wardrope played it into the feet of McAvoy inside the area and he drilled a left footed shot on target that Wilson could only parry but the defence reacted first to clear the rebound.

As the half moved into added time Talbot had Darvel pinned back in their own area. Deep into added time McPherson knocked it into the feet of McAvoy on the right of the area and he turned and hit it first time – only to see his shot saved by the outstretched leg of the keeper and Darvel held on to go in a goal ahead.

Both sides made a change at the interval with Healy on for Darvel and Langan on in place of Boyle for Talbot and early in the 2nd half Darvel made a further change with Williamson replacing Docherty at left-back.

In the 54th minute McPherson played a one two with McAvoy down the right and when McAvoy squared it back across to McPherson he went over in the penalty area and received a caution for simulation.

Four mins later McAvoy did well to block Williamson’s attempted clearance but was then penalised when the two players battled for the loose ball.

In the 59th minute the same two players were involved again but this time it resulted in a free kick to Talbot just outside the area when Williamson fouled McAvoy. Gillies took the set piece but failed to generate any power and it ended up a routine save for Wilson.

Talbot could have found themselves two goals adrift in the 64th minute. The ball was switched out to Barbour on the right and his early cross found Lewis in acres of space right in front of goal but he completely mishit it and shanked it well wide.

In the 70th minute Healy received a yellow card for kicking the ball away.

A minute later Talbot drew level. Sime cut in off the left and floated a right foot cross into the box where KYLE MCAVOY beat his man in the air to steer a header back across goal and in off the right post to make it 1-1.

Having got back on level terms Talbot nearly gifted Darvel the lead back five minutes later. A nothing ball down the centre seemed to present no danger but when Armour came out to clear it he hit it off a Darvel player but fortunately it went out wide right and when the cross eventually came in Darvel were penalised for a foul in the area.

Darvel now made a further change with Black replacing Love up front.

In the 79th minute Talbot won a free kick just wide of the penalty area for a foul on Boyd. Wardrope curled it in and McAvoy got his head to it but under pressure and it was gathered by the keeper.

Soon after Wardrope got down the left and hit the bye line before pulling it back to Schoneville whose shot was blocked behind for a corner. When the corner came into the centre Wilson managed to punch it clear and Darvel raced to the other end where McGlinchey fired a shot from 22 yards straight at Armour.

Play then switched back to the other end when Talbot won their umpteenth corner of the game down the left. Wardrope’s delivery just cleared Boyd’s head at the near post and the ball went across to McPherson beyond the far post. He cut it back into the path of Slooves who tried to side-foot it home from 8 yards but his shot was blocked by a defender and spun up to be gathered by Wilson.

Talbot now made a triple change with Boyd, Sime & Wardrope being replaced by Thomson, Clark & Abed.

Weak defending by Talbot nearly ended in a Darvel goal in the 84th minute. Barbour gathered it on the right of the box & was allowed to cut across the area unchallenged. When he was closed down and challenged it broke nicely for Black whose low drive from 15 yards was well saved by Armour.

At the other end Talbot thought they were in when McAvoy burst through one on one with the keeper but it was pulled back for offside.

Four minutes from time Darvel were awarded the softest of free kicks in a decent area for a non-existent foul on Lewis. When the ball was angled in from the right Black nearly met it at the back post but just failed to connect.

In the 88th minute Darvel secured all 3 points with a late winner. Talbot conceded a free kick out wide on the left and when it came across it wasn’t dealt with and skidded across to BARBOUR on the right of the area who beat Slooves to it to fire it low into the far corner.

There was plenty of added time as there’d been a number of stoppages but Talbot couldn’t fashion anything in the final third and Darvel ran out the clock to claim the win.

A disappointing afternoon for Talbot but no time to dwell on it as the Bot are back in midweek league action when they host local rivals Glenafton at Beechwood.

Darvel – Wilson, Barbour, Docherty, Naismith, Murphy, Walker, Lewis, Boyd, Love, Graham, McGlinchey

Subs – Howie, Healy, Edgar, Black, Callaghan, Williamson, Laverty

Auchinleck Talbot – Armour, McPherson, Schoneville, Wilson, Slooves, Boyle, Sime, Gillies, Boyd, McAvoy, Wardrope

Subs – Thomson, Nimmo, Abed, Langan, Walker, Clark, Kerr