Talbot failed to turn up for their 1st competitive game of the new year & could have few complaints as they slumped to a 2-0 loss away to Pollok.
Pollok ought to have taken the lead within 2 minutes. A slack pass from McGoldrick gifted the ball to McCann who raced past Lyle before cutting the ball back across goal. R Winters ran onto it but scooped his shot over the bar from 6 yards.
The game had a hurried feel to it with neither side able to settle on the ball or exert any dominance.
Talbot’s first effort at goal came in the 14th minute when G Wilson met Harvey’s cross & steered a header wide of the left post.
Pollok gradually began to take control of the match but without producing much in the final third.
In the 23rd minute Talbot came close to opening the scoring. Williamson conceded a free kick out on the right for a foul on Shankland & he delivered the ball into the area where Hyslop’s header flew just wide of the right post with the aid of a slight deflection.
At the other end Williamson had a decent effort for the home side when he tried to place a shot from 20 yards that curled wide of the left post.
R Winters squandered an almost identical chance to the one he’d missed in the 2nd minute after 32 mins. McCann got free on the right & fired a low cutback into the centre which Winters met but lifted over the bar.
McCracken became the 1st player booked when he was cautioned in the 39th min for a late challenge on Sideserf & he was soon joined in the ref’s notebook by Evans for a foul on Shankland.
Talbot ended the half strongly & twice came close to taking the lead. The first chance came from a corner out on the left. Shankland lifted it beyond the back post where Harvey looped a header back across that beat Longmuir but Evans headed it off the line.
In the last minute of the half Shankland nodded the ball down into the path of G Wilson & he surged in on goal; however Longmuir was quickly off his line & made a good stop from his low drive & the sides went in goal less at the interval.
Harvey became the 2nd Bot player booked when he received a caution for a late challenge on Mackenzie in the 53rd minute. He was unable to continue & Pollok made their first change with Hepburn on in his place.
The first effort at goal in the 2nd half came in the 56th minute when McCann drifted in from the right wing & sent a shot wide of Leishman’s left post.
The opening goal came in the 61st minute & in keeping with the quality of the game it was a messy affair. Longmuir’s long punt down the centre was missed in the air by the Talbot defence & bounced through to D WINTERS who had the easy task of sliding it past the helpless Leishman.
Tucker responded by making a double substitution with the two wide players, Milliken & Hyslop being replaced by Young & Steven Wilson.
A minute or so later Talbot made a further change with Stevenson on in midfield to replace McCracken.
It was now Talbot’s turn to dominate territory & possession but there was a lack of quality & composure in the final third & the Bot were unable to turn dominance into chances. Time & again speculative crosses were thrown into the box only to be headed clear under no real pressure.
Pollok made a change in the 83rd minute with Hanlon coming on for R Winters.
Graham Wilson picked up a caution in the 85th minute for persistent fouling.
Any lingering hopes of a Talbot comeback were ended in the 87th minute when Pollok added their second. Once again Talbot didn’t properly clear a Longmuir punt down the centre. This time it was headed out but only as far as Williamson who headed it back into the area. D Winters latched onto it & coolly chipped the ball through to ROWAN who ran in behind & took it past Leishman before rolling it home.
A bad day at the office for Talbot who never quite got going and the Bot will have to lift their game for next Saturday when Rob Roy visit Beechwood.

Pollok – Longmuir, Evans, Sideserf, Gallagher, McCabe, Rowan, McCann, Williamson, D Winters, R Winters, Mackenzie

Subs – Hanlon, McAleenan, Daly, Hepburn, Walker

Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Harvey, McGoldrick, Boyle, McCracken, Hyslop, White, Shankland, Milliken, G Wilson

Subs – Stevenson, S Wilson, Young, Pooler, McPherson

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