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PHOTOGRAPHS BY PAUL FLYNN.

MURRAYS MATCH REPORT

Meadow park proved a happy hunting ground once more for Talbot as the Bot edged out Rob Roy to book a place in this season’s Scottish Junior final where they will face Yoker at Rugby Park.

Talbot made a positive start and won a corner in the 2^nd minute when Bell blocked Glasgow’s cross. Glasgow aimed the corner to the far post where it was just nicked off the head of the waiting Graham Wilson.

An early goal always helps and Talbot obliged by taking the lead in the 4^th minute. Glasgow gathered on the right and played it into Samson whose head flick was met by GRAHAM WILSON who controlled it on his chest before rolling the ball past Smith to put Talbot 1-0 ahead.

The early momentum was with Talbot and Samson did well to force a corner down the left. Glasgow pinged it into the near post where the defence failed to clear their lines. It came to McPherson with his back to goal and he headed it across the area where Samson met it but headed off target under pressure.

In the 10^th minute Baber spread a good ball out right to find Truesdale racing down the right of the penalty area but his ball across was blocked behind for the corner.

Persistence paid off for Samson in the 14^th minute when he chased down Graham Wilson’s ball down the left & managed to nick a corner off Walker. Glasgow swung it into the goal mouth where McCracken managed to beat Smith to it in the air but his header went over the bar.

The Bot’s next attack saw Healy hit a slide rule pass out to Glasgow on the right and the defence did well to cut out his dangerous ball across the 6-yard area. Rob Roy then sprang onto the counter when Scott gathered deep in his own half before racing up field toward the Talbot box before releasing a pass to Young who ought to have equalised but fired past the left post from a good area.

Rob Roy were forced into an early change in the 19^th minute when Arbuckle limped off to be replaced by McPherson.

The next goal was going to be crucial and it went Talbot’s way in the 21^st minute. A shy from the right was helped on into the area by Glasgow where Graham Wilson was bundled over by Baber’s clumsy challenge. MARK SHANKLAND took the spot kick and sent Smith the wrong way to put Talbot 2-0 ahead.

Rob Roy came close to pulling one back in the 32^nd minute. An early ball up the right found McPherson just inside the penalty area and he hit an angled drive across goal that just went beyond the far post.

The Rabs had another opportunity in the 40^th minute. Truesdale squared it inside to Scott and he teed it up for Young 16 yards out but his shot took a deflection and went behind for the corner.

A minute later Young had his name taken when he petulantly shoved McCracken over the advertising hoardings as Talbot’s centre half ushered the ball behind for a goal kick.

Three minutes before the interval Talbot nearly killed the tie off with a 3^rd goal. Glasgow’s flick sent Samson free on the right and he pulled it back across the face of goal. The defence couldn’t clear and Shankland nipped in and fired a shot from close range that Smith did well to turn round his left post.

Play was switching from end to end and Leishman was called into action in the 44^th minute when Young skipped past a challenge on the right of the area and tried to find McPherson at the near post but Leishman managed to turn it behind.

The half ended with Talbot back on the attack as Samson strode clear on the right and swung a tempting cross over which Shankland met and steered goal ward but Smith dived low to his right to claim it.

Talbot would have hoped to keep it tight at the start of the 2^nd half but those plans came undone when Rob Roy pulled a goal back two minutes after the restart. They were awarded a free kick in the Bot half which Truesdale flighted into the area. McPherson met it & guided a header out left where SCOTT met it on the volley and gave Leishman no chance with a drive across him and into the far corner.

The Bot responded to this setback and had a chance to restore a two goal cushion in the 52^nd minute. Shankland played a good ball inside to find Glasgow who in turn squared it to Healy in space and he fired past the right post from 20 yards.

Armstrong had his name taken in the 56^th minute for a challenge on Bell.

The game was ebbing & flowing and Talbot’s next attacks saw Graham Wilson release Shankland down the left.  He swept it into the centre trying to find Samson but it didn’t break for him and the defence were able to clear.

The Bot’s next chance came in the 62^nd minute when Shankland whipped over a good cross from the right to find Graham Wilson beyond the far post. He steered it 1^st time back across goal where Healy met it but glanced his header off target.

In the 66^th minute Rob Roy had a chance to test Leishman when they won a free kick 23 yards out following McCracken’s handball but Scott lashed it well over the bar.

Two minutes later they had another set piece opportunity when they won a free kick in more or less the same spot. This time Truesdale hit but sent his shot straight into the wall.

With 20 minutes remaining Talbot had a half chance to kill the game off. Stafford played it up the wing to find Glasgow and he turned it inside to find Shankland. He laid it off early to Samson and he fired a shot across goal but wide of the right post.

Rob Roy made a change in the 76^th minute with I Gold coming on in place of Bell.

Rob Roy’s McPherson picked up a caution in the 78^th minute for a shove on Graham Wilson.

Talbot now made their first change with Mason coming on for Shankland and a few minutes later Hyslop replaced Glasgow.

In the 85^th minute Cairns had his name taken for dissent.

The Bot had a nervy moment in the 86^th minute. Armstrong lost out in a 50/50 inside the Rabs half and Rob Roy quickly broke forward through Truesdale who spread it out to Scott on the left of the area. He drilled a shot on goal but Leishman was equal to it and smothered it at his right hand post.

With 2 minutes remaining Rob Roy made their final change with S Gold replacing Scott.

Rob Roy threw bodies forward as the game moved into injury time but couldn’t breach the Talbot defence. The one half chance they had came from a short corner worked to Truesdale at the right edge of the area but he snatched his shot high & wide of target and Talbot were able to see it out to book their place in the final.

A hard fought win for the Bot who now move onto Monday night’s visit to Darvel which is a real 6 pointer and could go a long way to deciding the outcome of the title race.

Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Stafford, Aiden Wilson, McPherson, Craig McCracken, Armstrong, Healy, Graham Wilson, Samson, Shankland, Glasgow

Subs – Boylan, Crawford, Mason, Hyslop, Robbie McCracken, Hewitt

Kirkintilloch Rob Roy – Smith, Walker, Bell, Baber, O’Halloran, Cairns, Truesdale, O’Kane, Arbuckle, Young, Scott

Subs – Gordon, Kelly, S Gold, I Gold, McPherson, Ross, Murdoch