Report

TALBOT BADGERED OUT OF CHALLENGE CUP.

Report: Murray Steele, Photography Craig McGhee, Media: Lee Conn.

A bad day at the office for Talbot who exited the South Challenge cup after a 3-0 loss away at Broxburn.

In what proved to be a false dawn Talbot started the game positively and had the first chance within a minute. A ball into the box found Smith who was able to turn and get his shot away which was deflected wide for the corner. When the corner came in McPherson headed it back across goal but the defence were able to clear.

The Bot fell a goal behind in the 7^th minute. McPherson’s square pass to Armstrong was intercepted and knocked through to PAGE who ran into the box and slotted it beyond Glavin.

Two minutes later Wardrope surged forward from midfield and went for goal from 30 yards but it flew well over the bar.

The Bot had a half chance in the 16^th minute when Boylan headed a cross down inside the area. It fell toward Smith but wouldn’t come down quickly enough for him and by the time he got his volley away it was deflected over the bar. From the resultant corner McPherson got his head on Wardrope’s delivery but glanced it well wide of the right post.

In the 21^st minute Talbot came about as close as they were going to get. Langan fed the ball out to Boylan on the left and he cut in on his right foot and drilled it low across the face of goal where Langan had continued his run but he just failed to connect as he slid in and the defence cleared.

The home side spurned a good chance to double their advantage in the 24^th minute. Wilson was penalised for an aerial challenge and when the free kick came over from the right Turner met it but sent his free header wide of the left post.

The reprieve was short-lived though and two minutes later Broxburn made it two. Page found DAVIDSON in space on the right of the area and he gave Glavin no chance as he drilled it across goal and into the opposite corner.

It was nearly 3 minutes later when Page took advantage of hesitant defending to volley an effort on target that was brilliantly saved by Glavin who turned it round the post.

In the 32^nd minute Talbot ought to have had a free kick 30 yards out when the ball clearly hit Moyles elbow but the ref waved play on.

Talbot were huffing and puffing without offering much threat and it was the home side who again came close in the 38^th minute. Page met a corner from the right but guided his header wide of the left post

Things went from bad to worse for Talbot on the stroke of half-time. Thomson sped past a couple of players in the centre but as the ball ran away from him he lunged into a tackle and the referee produced a straight red leaving Talbot trooping off two goals and a man down.

Any thoughts of a comeback were dashed when Talbot lost an early goal after the re-start. McPherson’s square ball was intercepted and Broxburn broke away down the right where Millar drilled it low across the face of goal for PAGE to tap in from close range.

Talbot picked up two booking within a minute – firstly Langan and then moments later Smith.

In the 59^th minute Tucker made a double switch with Boyle & Lennox on for Langan & Smith and on 66 mins Talbot made a further change with Boyd on for Boylan.

Nothing much was happening with Broxburn content to sit on their lead as the clock ran down.

In the 74^th minute Talbot made their final change with Schoneville on for Armstrong and within a minute of coming on he was unlucky not to get on the score sheet. A Talbot corner from the left was headed out and came to Schoneville at the edge of the area where he rocketed a low left foot effort on target that produced a brilliant stop from Watt who dived to his right to turn it wide.

The game meandered on to no great purpose. In the 85^th minute Talbot had a chance to grab a late consolation effort when Wardrope’s free kick from the right was met by McPherson at the back post but his header slipped wide.

The final chance of the afternoon went Broxburn’s way when Turner fired just wide of the right post from 20 yards.

An afternoon to forget for Talbot who will need to dust themselves off and get the heads lifted for next Saturday when they travel through to Barrhead to face Arthurlie in the league.

Broxburn Athletic – Watt, Munro, Page, Moyles, Douglas, Thomson, Brass, Turner, Davidson, Bremner, Millar

Subs – Donoghue, Campbell, Nimmo, Binnie, Downie, Heath, Connolly

Auchinleck Talbot – Glavin, Wilson, Gillies, Slooves, McPherson, Armstrong, Langan, Wardrope, Smith, Boylan, Thomson

Subs – Boyd, Lennox, Boyle, Schoneville, Kennedy, Abed, Henry