TALBOT: Armour, Clark, Schoneville, McPherson, Wilson, Sime, Wardrope, Gillies, Boyd, McAvoy, Thomson, SUBS: Abed, Nimmo, Slooves, Hanlon, Langan.

JOHNSTONE BURGH: Scullion, Mullen, Kilday, Eadie, O’Neill, Esplin, Christie, Davidson, Mason, Dorrans, Kerr. SUBS: Cook, Law, G.McCann, McDonald, Menzies, McCrystal, Stewart.

was definitely a rip roaring cup tie with five goals, a missed penalty and a clutch of bookings which kept the Keanie Park crowd on their toes throughout the ninety minutes. It was a match where the passing football of the home team came up against a Talbot side that showed grit and determination which eventually paid dividends with a place in the last eight of the competition.

Talbot were to show that they meant business early in the game when in only seven minutes they were ahead thanks to a bit of craftiness from Mick Wardrope. The goal started from a Clark throw in which McAVOY let run past his body before hitting what could be construed to be a poor shot. The ball skipped towards Wardrope who instead of putting the laces through it he let the ball run through his legs and into the net with the Burgh keeper heading the wrong way.

Four minutes later McAvoy was again in the thick of the action when he broke down the right wing, hit the bye-line an drove the ball right across the face of Scullion’s goal but sadly there was no takers. Things were getting a bit heated in the middle of the park and Sime received the first booking for a clumsy tackle on Kerr and minutes later Clark followed him into the book for what was nothing more than a foul at the least. Not to be outdone Mullen the Burgh right back was carded for a crude foul on Thomson.

Talbot carved another chance on twenty six minutes when Gillies cut the ball across goals but once again there were no takers. Gillies was in the thick of the action minutes later when he looked to have carved a scoring opportunity but referee Hay deemed he was offside.

Going into the last five minutes the game really livened up when a Wardrope, McAvoy combination was halted when Thomson couldn’t latch on to the resulting cross.

Minutes before half time,Talbot doubled their lead when a Thomson cross was headed away by the home defence where it fell to the feet of SIME who stroked the ball through a forest of legs from twenty yards out which flew low past Scullion and into the net.

All Talbot needed to do was hang on for the last few minutes till half time but it was to no avail was Eadie motored up the wing and hit a cross that dropped over Wilson and as it bounced up from the grass KERR was there to nod the loose ball past Armour.

The second period started like the first when Schoneville rolled the ball to the edge of the six yard line where Thomson poked the chance just past the post. A few minutes later Talbot should have been out of sight when Boyd won a penalty after being pulled down inside the box. Mick Wardrope claimed the spot kick but fired so far over the bar that it must have been encroaching the flight path into Glasgow airport.

This let off seemed to encourage the home side and in fifty four minutes Dorrans flashed a superb effort just past Armours post. The Burgh seemed to dominate proceedings for a good portion of the second half with Talbot sitting back and hitting on the break. McAvoy went into the book on the hour mark for a trip. On the sixty ninth minute Talbot fashioned a break down the left where Sconeville’s cross was a bit too high for McAvoy who although unmarked could only head harmlessly into Scullion’s arms. Minutes later Langan replaced Sime, but he was no sooner on the park that the Burgh struck with Cook heading a Dorran’s chip off the bar where the loose ball fell to Christie six yards out but he slashed his shot well over the bar.

Talbot were quick to cash in on their let-off and McAvoy pulled off a superb chip into the box which was pounced upon by Boyd but Scullion somehow managed to block his shot and then dive on the rebound.

Talbot replaced Thomson with Abed, and minutes later Gillies outwitted the home defence by heading the ball into space but as he went into attack mode he was too heavy with his first touch which gave Scullion time to smother the danger.

With time running out for Burgh, Mason was booked and worst was to follow when on the eighty seventh minute a superb cross by Abed was headed by McAvoy which came off a defender into the path of BOYD who smashed the ball into the net to restore Talbot’s two goal lead.

As the game neared the final few minutes Nimmo replaced Boyd, but it was the home side had the last say when a speculative cross was launched into the box and as McCyrstal tried to bring the ball down he actually teed up a chance for MASON who dispatched his shot well out of reach of Armour.

It was too little too late for the Burgh and when the whistle was blown there was jubilation for the decent sized travelling support who made the jaunt up the Keanie Park. It was a gutsy performance for Talbot who took their chances well and could have added a few more, however the two goals they conceded were poor, so hopefully they get looked into.