Report

MURRAY’S MATCH REPORT. SARAH JANES PHOTO’S

Talbot hit a magnificent seven as they swept past Broxburn and into the last 16 of the South Challenge cup.

The game got off to a scrappy start but Talbot grabbed the lead in the 9^th minute thanks to a wonder strike. Mason hit the bye line down the left & floated a cross into the near post that the defence managed to head clear. It came out to Wilson on the edge of the area & he knocked it back into the path of ROSS TAYLOR who curled a peach of a shot past the keeper from 25 yards

An injury to Park after a quarter of an hour meant an early change for Talbot with Park limping off to be replaced by Boylan who went up front with Wilson moving to left midfield.

In the 27^th minute the visitors also made an enforced substitution with Wright coming on for the injured Clark.

Broxburn gave Talbot a fright in the 32^nd minute. G Donaldson clipped the ball down the left to find Orru running in behind and McPherson did well to get across and clear his low ball across the area.

Two minutes later Blair was called into action when he had to tip Wilson’s dangerous cross away. Talbot kept the pressure on and Mason had a half chance on the edge of the area but pulled his shot across goal and wide of the right post.

In the 36^th minute Talbot won a debatable free kick in a good area when Wright was penalised for a challenge on Mason. Mason took the free kick but couldn’t get it past the wall.

Three minutes from the interval Broxburn had a decent chance to level it. A good ball over the top sent Orru clear down the left and when his cross came over Brass managed to nod it back down into the path of Henderson who blasted it over the bar from 15 yards out.

Down the other end Talbot the referee awarded Talbot a shy down the left when most in the ground thought it was Broxburn’s ball and Talbot nearly capitalised on it. The ball came to Boylan on the left and his high, floated cross was met by Samson who steered a header back across goal that Blair kept out at his right post.

Deep into added time Broxburn won a free kick near the bye line just outside the penalty area. Orru chased Donaldson’s ball down the left and succeeded in nicking it off McCracken as he tried to shield it out. McCracken hauled him down receiving a yellow card for the challenge but Henderson’s free kick wasn’t able to clear the 1^st man and Talbot went off a goal ahead

Talbot came out on fire from the start of the 2^nd half and doubled their lead within 2 minutes of the re-start. Wilson whipped in a good cross from the left that broke to AARON MASON inside the area. He played a one-two with Samson before drilling a low shot inside the right hand post to make it 2-0.

A minute later Henderson was fortunate to escape a yellow card when he cynically halted Wilson as he burst forward down the left.

Wilson nearly got on the score sheet in the 50^th minute. Taylor’s ball found him on the left and he cut inside Sayers into the box before hitting a shot that looked to be heading into the roof of the net til it nicked off the top of B Donaldson’s head and over the crossbar.

It was now one-way traffic and it was no real surprise when Talbot went three ahead in the 55^th minute. Stafford got free down the right and fired it across the 6-yard area where AARON MASON hooked it inside the right post for his 2^nd of the afternoon.

Three minutes later and a slick passing move saw Talbot grab their fourth. Mason passed it into the feet of Wilson inside the area and he in turn laid it into the path of KIER SAMSON who ran through and passed it beyond the keeper into the net from close range.

Both sides now made multiple changes. Broxburn replaced Binnie, Henderson & Orru with Nimmo, Downie & Williamson and soon after Talbot made a double change with Shankland & Smith coming on for Mason & Wilson

Talbot came close to adding to their tally in the 65^th minute. Samson raced down the right and squared it into the near post where Boylan’s side-footed effort was deflected just wide of target.

In the 69^th minute Shankland sent Samson through on the right of the penalty area but he blazed his shot over.

With quarter of an hour remaining Wright had his name taken for kicking the ball away.

As the game wore on the weather worsened by the minute but the torrential rain didn’t dampen Talbot’s enthusiasm as they kept pushing forward looking for more.

The fifth goal came in the 81^st minute. Shankland played a ball down the right for Samson and he cut it back across goal where BRYAN BOYLAN stroked it home from 6 yards out.

A minute later and Talbot added another. Shankland and Samson combined down the right again though this time Samson’s ball across goal was cut out for a corner. When the corner came in the defence only cleared it as far as Armstrong who played it into the feet of Smith who cut in on his right foot and drilled a low shot that the keeper managed to save but couldn’t prevent ROSS SMITH from reacting first to prod home the rebound

With five minutes remaining Talbot completed the scoring. Shankland lifted a ball in behind the defence for Samson to chase. Blair came rushing out his area to get there first and to clear but he played it out left to MARK SHANKLAND 40+ yards from goal who hit it first time – lobbing the ball over the keeper and inside the right post to make it 7-0.

Talbot had a chance to add another late on when Stafford burst into the area but his shot across goal went just wide of the right post.

A superb 2^nd half display from Talbot as the Bot equalled their winning margin over Coldstream earlier this season. Next up for Talbot it’s back to league action when they host Pollok at Beechwood next Saturday.

Talbot – Leishman, Stafford, Taylor, McPherson, McCracken, Armstrong, Wardrope, Park, Wilson, Mason, Samson

Subs – Shankland, Boylan, Smith, Healy

Broxburn Athletic – Blair, Sayers, G Donaldson, Clark, McConnell, B Donaldson, Gillen, Binnie, Brass, Henderson, Orru

Subs – Wright, Nimmo, Douglas, Downie, Williamson, Gray, Donoghue