Report

MURRAYS REPORT

Last time Talbot played at Newlandsfield the game was played out in torrential rain and finished all square and so it proved again in yesterday’s encounter.

Talbot had the first chance of the afternoon when Park fed it out to Samson on the right touchline and his ball into the area was met by Boylan who fired wide of target.

Two minutes later Pollok came close down the other end. Buchanan won a corner down the left and when it came over the Bot defence could only clear it out to the opposite wing where Christie swung a cross into the back post that was headed just wide of the right hand post.

With quarter of an hour on the clock Talbot opened up the home defence when Mason’s clever lay off sent Boylan free on the left and he charged down the wing before slinging a low ball across goal that Lumsden cut out just inside his near post.

Two minutes later the Lok keeper could do nothing about Wardrope’s ferocious drive from 25 yards that had the keeper beaten but cannoned back off the crossbar.

Talbot were giving as good as they were getting and looking fairly comfortable right up until the 23^rd minute when the home side took the lead out of the blue. Pollok won a corner down the left which Mullen swung into the centre. Stafford managed to head it away but it was gathered by Christie on the right and he pulled it back toward Esplin at the edge of the area. He pulled his shot under pressure but as luck would have it the ball bounced off a Lok player and fell perfectly for LYON to steer it home from 6 yards out at the back post.

As the weather worsened the game went into a bit of a lull but Talbot did have a couple of half chances just after the half hour mark. Firstly Wardrope found Boylan on the left and his ball down the line sent Mason racing down the left wing but his final ball across goal had too much pace on it.

Soon after Mason had a chance on the right of the Lok box but he opted to take a touch rather than hit it first time and was closed down. The ball broke outside the area where Talbot thought they’d won a foul for holding but the ref waved play on and as Pollok broke Park was penalised for a challenge and received a booking.

In the 39^th minute Crawford took one for the team when he received a caution when he abruptly halted a Lok break down the left wing. Mullen took the resultant free kick but his ball into the centre was easily claimed by Leishman.

A few minutes before the interval Buchanan squared the ball in from the left for Christie but his low drive lacked the power to test Leishman and the sides went in at the break with Lok a goal to the good.

Talbot came out positively at the start of the 2^nd half, Samson winning a free kick for Burns challenge from the back and then Samson won a corner down the right when his cross was put behind by Sideserf. When the corner came over though Pollok headed it clear and broke quickly downfield through Christie who surged forward before sliding it right to McCann who saw his shot blocked by Leishman.

The Bot came close to a leveller in the 50^th minute. Pollok only half cleared a ball and it came to Wilson who headed it over the defence to find Samson in the box. With his back to goal all he could do was glance it on with his head and it flew just wide of Lumsden’s left post.

Talbot kept the pressure up and Crawford’s ball across goal in the 54^th minute only needed a touch but there was no one at the back post to turn it home.

In the 56^th minute Wardrope became the 3^rd Talbot player booked when he received a yellow card for a challenge on Lyon. Mullen again took the Lok set piece and curled the free kick into the centre where McPherson headed it clear.

Tucker made his first change in the 66^th minute with Shankland coming on for Boylan.

A minute later Talbot drew level aided by some indecisive defending. There appeared little danger as the ball bounced 30 yards out but a Lok player tried to head it back toward his own goal and the ball broke off Mason into the path of KIER SAMSON in space and he drilled a low right foot shot across the keeper and inside the right post to make it 1-1.

Mason picked up a very tame booking in the 69^th minute – not helped by Sideserf’s histrionics who went down as though poleaxed when barely touched only to make a lazarus like recovery.

In the 70^th minute the Bot won a free kick wide on the left when Shankland was caught out by the touchline. Shankland swept the free kick into the centre where Park glanced a header just wide of the left hand post.

Two minutes later Burns became the first Lok player cautioned after he wrestled Samson to the ground to prevent him running onto Leishman’s throw out.

The referee wasn’t winning many friends on either side and he enraged the Bot support in the 74^th minute. Once again Burns looked to be guilty of wrestling Samson back for what would’ve been a 2^nd yellow card but the ref decided it was Samson who was holding and gave Pollok the free kick.

With quarter of an hour remaining Wilson played it into the feet of Shankland on the left of the penalty area. His shot across goal took a deflection with Talbot appealing for the corner but the officials awarded a goal kick.

Pollok now made a change with Docherty coming on for Buchanan.

Crawford was having a good 2^nd half and in the 77^th minute he again burst down the right and swung a good cross into the centre that Mullen did well to head clear.

In the 79^th minute Burns won Pollok a corner down the left. Mullen delivered a dangerous ball in that McPherson managed to head clear. It came out to Esplin and he returned it to Mullen who squared it across the face of goal. The ball broke to Christie on the right of the area and he went down looking for a penalty only for the referee to book him for simulation.

Pollok now made a further change with Menzies replacing Burns.

With 9 minutes remaining Lyon did well near the bye line to turn Park and fire a ball across goal but Leishman smothered it at his near post.

The Bot then had a chance down the other end. Shankland squared the ball across to Wardrope who was caught by Esplin 20 yards from goal resulting in a booking for the Lok midfielder and a free kick to Talbot. Shankland took it but fired it low into the wall and when it broke back to him he lashed a shot well off target.

As the game entered its closing stages Talbot made a further change with Taylor coming on for Wardrope.

In the 89^th minute Talbot came close to snatching it when Mason’s shot from outside the box was blocked and it spun right into the path of Crawford who hit it first time and sent a low drive just wide of target.

Deep into injury time Talbot had one last effort. Taylor burst forward down the right and checked inside on his left foot and fired a low shot on target that Lumsden made a complete meal of but eventually managed to hold at the 3^rd time of asking.

A hard fought game and a draw was probably about the right result. Talbot’s next competitive fixture sees the visit of Rob Roy to Beechwood next Saturday but before that there is Andy Leishman’s testimonial at Beechwood later today where many well kent faces from the past will be lining up to face a Kilmarnock legends team.

Pollok – Lumsden, Mullen, Sideserf, Brownlie, Rumsby, Esplin, Christie, Lyon, S McCann, Buchanan, Burns

Subs – Menzies, Simmanon, Docherty, Dykes, Kroi, G McCann, Longmuir

Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Stafford, A Wilson, McPherson, Crawford, Armstrong, Park, Wardrope, Boylan, Samson, Mason

Subs – Shankland, Taylor, Ballantyne, Lennox, McCracken, Heaney, Hewitt