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PHOTOGRAPHS BY PAUL FLYNN.

MURRAYS MATCH REPORT

The fans certainly got their money’s worth with this incident packed top of the table encounter which ended all square after a topsy turvy 90 minutes.

Talbot couldn’t have made a worse start; conceding a cheap goal with only 8 minutes on the clock. There seemed no danger when a hanging cross was swung over from the left touchline but Leishman flapped at it & knocked the ball straight into the path of FORDE who rolled it into the empty net.

The Bot defence was under pressure in the 14^th minute when Lyon skipped past Wilson on the right and drilled it low across the face of goal. Armstrong cleared it but only as far as Esplin whose shot was deflected wide for a corner. When the corner came over Talbot couldn’t clear their lines, resulting in pinball inside the 6-yard area, before it was finally scrambled behind.

In the 18^th minute the referee produced the 1^st of many cards. Pollok’s Horne was cautioned for a crunching tackle on Samson as he broke up the park and moments later McPherson received a yellow card at the other end for obstructing S McCann.

Pollok won a free kick in a good area in the 22^nd minute which Forde crossed into the area. Aiden Wilson headed it clear & Talbot raced onto the counter with Glasgow spraying an early pass out to the left where Boylan raced onto it and fired a shot on target that Longmuir did well to turn round his post. When the resultant corner came over beyond the far post it was met by Wilson but his ball back across was cleared.

In the 32^nd minute Talbot conceded a penalty following a long shy from the right. Wharton hurled it into the centre & the ref judged McCracken to be holding onto Forde’s shirt and pointed to the spot. MCGREGOR took it and fired it low to Leishman’s left. The Bot keeper got his fingertips to it and pushed it onto the post but it rebounded back out to McGregor who tucked away the rebound.

Two minutes later it could have been curtains for Talbot when they failed to cope with a high cross from the left. The ball broke to Lyon in front of goal but he pulled his shot wide of the left post.

Pollok found themselves a man down in the 36^th minute. Horne was already on a yellow card when he clipped Glasgow’s heels to prevent him breaking free and the ref produced a 2^nd yellow to send him to the clubhouse.

Two minutes later and the referee awarded the 2^nd penalty of the afternoon but this time it was to Talbot. Stafford whipped over a cross from the right and Samson was bundled to the ground off the ball and the ref pointed to the spot. JAMIE GLASGOW took it & kept his cool to send Longmuir the wrong way. Sideserf was then booked for dissent.

The momentum had swung Talbot’s way and in the 40^th minute the Bot drew level. Wilson fed the ball to JAMIE GLASGOW inside the penalty area & he bent it beyond the keeper and into the bottom corner to make it 2-2.

A minute from the break Wharton became the latest player booked.

In the closing seconds of the half Longmuir produced an outstanding save to prevent Talbot going in ahead. Boylan did well on the right, skipping past Sideserf before squaring it across to Hyslop, who must have thought his low drive was heading into the back of the net til Longmuir managed to put it wide and so the sides went in level at the break.

Talbot started the 2^nd half shakily conceding a few needless free kicks to put themselves under pressure and in the 54^th minute conceded a 2^nd penalty kick. Once again it came from a long throw in from the right. This time Hyslop was penalised for high feet when making a challenge and MCGREGOR gave Leishman no chance as he buried it into the roof of the net.

The referee’s notepad was filling up and in the 56^th minute Esplin joined the crime count when he was cautioned for time wasting when he kicked the ball away.

Talbot now made a change with Shankland coming on in place of Boyd.

In the 59^th minute Talbot had a penalty appeal waved away when Glasgow appeared to be held by Sideserf inside the box but the ref dismissed Glasgow’s appeals.

Glasgow won a corner in the 63^rd minute when his cross spun behind off Wharton. The corner was taken short by Shankland to Glasgow and he fired into the side-netting.

The home side were reduced to 9 men a minute later. Brownlie keeled over in the Pollok goalmouth and was harangued by the Bot support for time-wasting. He rounded on the support and was shown a straight red for swearing at the visiting fans. A decision that is technically correct but would probably see every league fixture finish 7 a side.

Talbot had a good chance to level in the 66^th minute. Samson hit a low ball across the face of goal that Hyslop helped on toward the back post where it fell to Glasgow who blazed it over the bar.

A minute later Pollok found themselves down to 8 men. Bizarrely the referee awarded Pollok a free kick for McCracken’s challenge on Forde and then sent Forde off for elbowing McCracken who had to receive treatment for a cut & leave the field to change into another top.

With Pollok down to 8 men it was now a case of Lok lining up along their 18 yard line and Talbot trying to break them down.

In the 73^rd minute Shankland fed it out to Stafford on the right and he swept over a good cross that McGregor headed over his own bar. The corner was pulled back to McPherson who passed it straight back to Shankland who swung over a cross into the centre. McCracken went down in the 6-yard area appealing for a shove but the ref waved away the penalty shout.

The Bot support must have thought it wasn’t to be our day in the 74^th minute when Longmuir produced a fantastic stop to prevent the equaliser. McCracken met Shankland’s corner from the left & did everything right only to see Lok’s keeper managed to keep his header out.

With 12 minutes remaining Talbot made their 2^nd change with Graham Wilson coming on for Boylan.

In the 82^nd minute Stafford pinged a cross into the centre which broke back to Graham Wilson 15 yards out but his shot at goal was blocked away.

With Pollok down to 8 it was nonstop pressure with Lok unable to have any out ball and every time they cleared it the ball coming straight back at them. Talbot were racking up the crosses and corners but Lok were withstanding the pressure.

In the 84^th minute Talbot won a corner on the left that Shankland took quickly and played short into the feet of Graham Wilson. He squared it to Samson but once again a shot at goal was blocked away in the crowded 6-yard area.

Just when it appeared as though Talbot were going to be frustrated the Bot drew level in the 89^th minute. Glasgow knocked a good ball over from the left and GRAHAM WILSON met it to flick it beyond Longmuir to make it 3-3.

The drama wasn’t over though. In the final minute a shy from the left was only partially cleared and came to Shankland at the edge of the area but he fired over the bar.

As the game entered injury time Talbot had another chance to take all 3 points. Shankland released Stafford on the overlap and he swung over a good cross that Samson headed over.

Deep into injury time Longmuir defied Talbot with two incredible saves. Firstly, he dived low to his left to keep out McCracken’s net bound header and moments later he managed to tip Aiden Wilson’s screamer from 18 yards over his crossbar to ensure Pollok held out for the draw.

A frustrating afternoon for Talbot who would gratefully have settled for a point when 2 down but will be disappointed that they couldn’t force a winner for all their pressure late on.

After a long stretch of away days it is back to Beechwood next Saturday as Talbot take on Hurlford in the league.

Pollok – Longmuir, Lyon, Sideserf, Wharton, Brownlie, Horne, Esplin, McGregor, S McCann, Forde, Mackenzie

Subs – Graham, Duff, Bradley, Grant, Grimshaw, Kroi, Lumsden

Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Stafford, Aiden Wilson, McPherson, Craig McCracken, Armstrong, Hyslop, Boyd, Boylan, Glasgow, Samson

Subs – Shankland, Graham Wilson, McDowall, Lyle, Robbie McCracken, Hewitt