It was honours even as Talbot left Keanie Park with a point following a keenly contested 1-1 draw at Johnstone.

The Bot nearly made a dream start within the opening minute. Slack defending by Burgh saw Smith pounce on the ball on the left of the penalty area and he turned inside & went for goal only to see Scullion push his shot wide for the corner.

Talbot’s bright start continued in the 5th minute. Wilson lifted the ball downfield to find Boyd down the left and he cut inside before drilling a low strike wide of target.

Burgh’s first threat of the evening came after 8 minutes when a dangerous cross from the left had to be headed behind at the far post with Moore lurking.

In the 13th minute Moore, who looked offside, got in behind the Bot defence down the left but a recovery tackle saw it swept behind for the corner and when it came over Armour took it confidently.

Two minutes later Talbot countered at pace through Abed. He intercepted a pass before haring deep into the Burgh half and squaring it for Smith whose low drive was held by the keeper.

Nineteen minutes gone and the home side won a corner down the left through Rossiter. When it came over O’Neill won the header on and it came to Moore who who prodded a low strike across goal and well wide of the far post.

A minute later Moore came much closer when he stepped in off the left wing & fired a shot just wide of the left hand post.

Mullen became the first name in the book when he was cautioned for a cynical trip on Smith as he looked to counter-attack.

The next attack went Talbot’s way in the 27th minute. Rossiter was dispossessed in his own half and Smith switched play out wide left to find Boyd who played it across the face of goal but there were no takers and it went for the goal kick.

Two minutes later Burgh won a corner down the left through Kerr’s pace and when it came over O’Neill met it but powered a free header over the bar.

On the half hour mark Schoneville made a good burst down the left. His initial ball into the area was blocked but slack defending gifted it back to him & his 2nd attempt floated to the back post where Boyd tried to cut it back across goal only to see it cleared.

The home side had a lucky escape soon after. Boyle floated it down the centre where Scullion came to the edge of his area to gather. He couldn’t hold it under pressure from Smith and with the keeper stranded, Smith drilled a low shot heading on target until O’Neill deflected it behind for the corner.

When the first corner came in it fell to McPherson whose shot was deflected behind for a 2nd corner out on the left. This time it came to the back post where NEILL MCPHERSON saw his header come off the post from close range before drilling it home at the 2nd time of asking to put Talbot in front.

In the 37th minute Talbot came close to doubling their lead. Langan surged forward down the right and slipped it through to Boyd whose low angled shot back across was well saved by Scullion.

The home side drew level in the 40th minute. Rossiter curled over a cross from the left that was headed clear but MCDONALD was first to react to it and he turned smartly on the edge of the area to steer a low drive inside the right post to make it 1-1.

Two minutes later Talbot thought they’d restored their lead but a debatable call from the assistant put paid to it. The Bot won a free kick out on the left which Langan flighted over to the far post. Boyd met it inside the 6-yard area to head home but the assistant saw an infringement lost on the spectators and it didn’t stand.

A minute before the interval Talbot again came close to regaining the lead. Abed won a corner down the left and when it came over Slooves met it only to see his header cleared off the line at the right hand post.

As the game moved into added time Burgh won a free kick 30 yards out. Rossiter went for goal and Armour had to dive to his left to turn it behind and the sides went in all square.

Talbot got off to a sluggish start to the 2nd half and found themselves pegged back for the opening 10 minutes after the restart. Burgh forced a succession of corners and had a few loud, but vain appeals for penalties.

In the 54th minute Talbot were nearly in behind when Abed’s through ball found Boyd. He appeared to have beaten the offside trap but the assistant thought otherwise and her flag put an end to the move.

A minute later a good ball down the left was gathered in by Smith who fed it back to Abed. He whipped over a dangerous cross that Gilday did well to cut out in the middle.

Just after the hour mark Abed cut in off the left flank and was tripped by Mullen who had been booked earlier but the ref decided a free kick was sufficient. Before the free kick could be taken Talbot made their 1st change with Wardrope on for Langan. Talbot failed to make the most of the set piece with Smith opting to roll it back for Wardrope to hit but the defence were wise to it and his shot was blocked.

In the 66th minute Kerr raced down the centre and got a shot off on target but it went straight at Armour.

A minute later he was called upon again when Christie burst down the right and fired a low shot at goal but once again it was comfortably held.

Smith picked up a caution in the 69th minute.

With 72 mins gone Talbot made a triple change with Smith, Gillies and Abed making way for McAvoy, Sime & Clark and Burgh then brought on Lafferty in place of Moore.

Ten minutes from time Schoneville hung a cross up to the back post where McAvoy challenged the keeper who was caught slightly late but made a three course meal of it.

Both sides now made a further change apiece with Kerr on for Schoneville and G McCann replacing Rossiter.

Burgh found themselves a man down in the 84th minute. Lafferty dived into a lunging tackle on Clark out on the left touchline and the ref immediately showed him a straight red.

As the clock ran down towards the end Burgh made two late changes with Dorrans & Lyon on for Kerr & Mullen.

As the game moved into added time Talbot had one last chance. A cut back from the left was knocked behind by O’Neill for a corner kick. When Wardrope’s ball came over McAvoy met it at the near post but under pressure could only head it over and the game finished 1-1.

A hard fought game and a decent away result against a side many expect to be challenging for the title. Next up for Talbot it’s back to Beechwood where they face Cumnock in the 1st derby of the season.

Johnstone Burgh – Scullion, Mullen, Gilday, Eadie, O’Neill, Esplin, Christie, McDonald, Moore, Rossiter, Kerr

Subs – Naismith, Greenaway, Lafferty, G McCann, Lyon, Dorrans, Menzies

Auchinleck Talbot – Armour, McPherson, Schoneville, Slooves, Wilson, Langan, Boyle, Gillies, Boyd, Smith, Abed

Subs – McAvoy, Sime, Kerr, Wardrope, Clark, Armstrong