Report

TALBOT MAKE IT THREE CUP WINS IN A ROW

Report: Murray Steele, Photography: Craig McGhee, Media: Lee Conn.

Talbot buried the undertakers with two 2^nd half goals from Boyd sealing Talbot’s well-deserved away win at Port Glasgow.

The Bot made the early running but without much joy in the final third. The first effort on target came in the 10^th minute when Boylan slid it right to find Wardrope inside the box and he fired straight at the keeper.

A minute later Talbot had a chance to take the lead. Gillies saw his first ball into the area cleared but it came straight back to him and at the 2^nd time of asking he floated a cross beyond the back post where Boylan volleyed it wide.

Route one almost paid off for the home side in the 12^th minute. A long ball down the centre skidded off a Talbot head and came through to Gallacher on the right of the area but just as he prepared to shoot, Slooves got back to make a crucial challenge and put it behind for the corner. When the corner came over Talbot failed to clear their lines and a Port player tried his luck from a tight angle but Glavin held his shot.

Gallacher had his name taken in the 13^th minute for a professional foul as he halted a Talbot counter-attack.

Wardrope came close to the opener in the 14^th minute. McPherson cut it back into the box where Wardrope met it with his back to goal and his overhead kick clipped the outside of the left post.

In the 18^th minute Gallacher burst forward and when challenged the ball spun into the path of Pettigrew who fired on target from 25 yards. It skipped off the surface on the way through and Glavin gathered at the 2^nd attempt.

The Bot’s next attack saw Langan lay the ball off to Boyd on the right of the area and his shot was deflected behind for a corner. When Wardrope’s corner came over from the right the defence could only clear it out as far as Gillies who hammered a low drive on target that the keeper blocked without knowing too much about it.

The home side could have been a man down half an hour in. Gallacher clipped Thomson’s heels and when the ref called him over it looked like he was going to be shown a 2^nd yellow but the ref kept his cards in his pocket.

In the 33^rd minute Langan squared the ball to find Wardrope in space and he cut inside and tried to curl it into the top corner but got too much on it.

Two minutes later Talbot spurned a great chance to take the lead. Thomson laid the ball into the path of Boylan who burst through one on one with the keeper but took a heavy first touch, allowing Wigzell to race off his line and smother the ball.

Talbot’s next effort came in the 41^st minute. Gillies played it inside to Wardrope whose low drive on target was spilled by the keeper but he recovered to gather at the 2^nd time of asking.

The Bot were finishing the half strongly and had another chance in the 45^th minute. Armstrong played it into the feet of Wardrope at the edge of the box and he turned and fired just wide of the left hand post.

Into added time Talbot had a great chance to go in a goal ahead. Boyd cut it back into the path of Langan but he scooped his shot well over from 10 yards out and the sides went in goal less at the break.

From the off, Talbot dominated the 2^nd half and had a chance to break the deadlock in the 48^th minute. A short corner on the right was worked into Wardrope on the right of the area and his cross beyond the far post was headed back across goal by Slooves. In the ensuing goal mouth scramble Boylan saw his first effort blocked and then his 2^nd shot fly wide of the left hand post.

The opening goal came in the 50^th minute. Boylan got free on the left and the keeper did well to save his angled drive with his legs but CONNOR BOYD had followed up and rolled the rebound into the net.

The home side had a rare chance in the 53^rd minute. A cross from the right found the head of Gallacher who tried to steer a header back across goal but it failed to test Glavin.

Down the other end Boyd laid the ball off to Wardrope who burst forward into space and fired a shot just wide of the left hand post.

Next to try their luck for Talbot was Boylan who latched onto Wardrope’s deep cross and tried to fire it low across goal – only to see his shot deflected over the crossbar.

In the 58^th minute Langan was caught 25 yards out and Wardrope took the resultant free kick – firing it over the bar.

Talbot had another half chance in the 62^nd minute. A short corner was played to Langan who found Thomson inside the area and his low ball across goal was blasted over the bar by Boylan.

Tucker now made a double change with Thomson and Boylan making way for Glasgow and McAvoy.

In the 66^th minute McAvoy climbed well to meet a shy down the right and nod it into the path of Boyd who fed it across to Langan whose dipping half-volley from the edge of the area just cleared the crossbar.

Two minutes later Langan’s early ball in behind the defence saw McAvoy racing to beat Wigzell to it – with the keeper quickly off his line to make the challenge. Both players took a knock in the challenge, and unfortunately for Talbot’s new signing, McAvoy was unable to continue and had to be replaced by Lennox.

With 11 minutes remaining Talbot made another double substitution with Wardrope & Langan being replaced in the centre by Boyle & Urquhart.

Urquhart came close to scoring on his debut when he met Boyd’s cut-back from the left but the keeper made a good stop to block his angled drive behind for the corner

Although it had been all Talbot the game was still in the balance with the Bot only having a goal to show for all their dominance and the home side won a free kick in a good area in the 82^nd minute. McPherson took it and his shot hit the wall and was gathered by Glavin.

A minute later and it was game over. Glasgow’s through ball found CONNOR BOYD racing in behind and he took it wide of the keeper and placed it back inside the left post to make it 2-0.

Three minutes from time Boyle surged forward and despite being impeded managed to keep going and find Lennox. He cut inside on his left foot and saw his shot deflected behind for a corner.

A minute from time Glasgow won a corner down the left that he took short to Urquhart. He returned it to Glasgow who swept a dangerous cross over that a defender sliced up into the air before it was finally scrambled clear of the goal mouth.

As the game moved into added time Gillies had a good chance to add to Talbot’s tally. Glasgow’s in swinging corner from the left found him in space inside the 6-yard box but he took a fresh air swipe at it.

There was still time for Talbot to have another couple of decent chances. Firstly, Glasgow cut in off the left wing and saw his low drive well saved by Wigzell and then deep into added time Lennox blocked Wigzell’s attempted clearance and when the ball was played across Glasgow’s scissor kick was cleared from a yard out with the keeper beaten.

A win and a clean sheet for the Bot who have hit a good spell of form of late. Next up its back to Beechwood on league business when Talbot host Rob Roy next Saturday.

Port Glasgow – Wigzell, Cowan, McLaughlin, Mitchell, McDowall, Cooper, Black, Pettigrew, McPherson, Mearns, Gallacher

Subs – Hunter, Lunney, McArthur, McVitie, Paterson, Sutherland, Duncan (gk)

Auchinleck Talbot – Glavin, McPherson, Gillies, Wilson, Slooves, Armstrong, Langan, Wardrope, Boyd, Thomson, Boylan

Subs – Smith, McAvoy, Glasgow, Urquhart, Glasgow, Boyle, Lennox, Henry (gk)