Report

Talbot kept their winning streak going, but only just, as they were pushed all the way by Rossvale in this mid-week encounter.

The Bot made a positive start and forced a corner in the 3^rd minute when Aiden Wilson cut in off the left & saw his shot deflected behind. Shankland hit the corner deep beyond the far post where it found McDowall in space & he angled a low shot across the face and wide of target.

A defensive blunder from the hosts gifted Talbot a clear chance in the 11^th minute. A square ball across the back four was easily intercepted by Graham Wilson who raced forward to the edge of the area but fired his shot wide of the keeper’s right post.

After a shaky start Rossvale began to grow into it and they carved out a decent chance in the 25^th minute. Dolan threaded a pass down the right channel to find Torrance inside the Talbot box but his low drive was held by Leishman at his left post.

Two minutes later Talbot had a half chance when Shankland found space on the left. He whipped over a dangerous cross that Morgan headed clear but Talbot retrieved it & worked it back out left to Shankland. This time his cross took a deflection off Torrance & floated beyond the keeper & bounced across the goal mouth where Samson slipped whilst trying to get on the end of it.

The home side were forced into a change in the 40^th minute when Rodger couldn’t continue and he was eventually replaced by J Young after a lengthy stoppage. Rossvale ended the half strongly but couldn’t test Leishman and the sides went in goal less at the break.

Rossvale made the early running in the 2^nd half and won a free kick in a good area within a minute of the re-start. Kerr took it but opted to go for goal rather than cross it and fired a shot well over the bar.

Talbot had a lucky escape in the 51^st minute when a pass out right found Dolan in space beyond the far post. He drilled it low across the face of goal where it hit Kerr rather than the other way round & spun off the striker and went wide of Leishman’s right post.

Having weathered the storm Talbot took the lead against the run of play in the 54^th minute. Shankland gathered on the right & swept a cross to the far post where Samson met it & nodded it back across goal to GRAHAM WILSON who rammed it home from inside the 6-yard box.

Two minutes later Talbot had a half chance to give themselves a cushion when they broke via Graham Wilson. He carried it forward before sliding it to the left into the path of Aiden Wilson who ran onto it and drilled a shot just over the crossbar.

Down the other end Rossvale had the Talbot defence at full stretch in the 63^rd minute when Dolan gathered the ball near the bye line and hit a low ball across the face of goal. There were no takers in the centre but Lyle was forced to put it behind for the corner.

A 2^nd goal for Talbot would have settled it and it nearly came in the 65^th minute. McDowall picked up on the right edge of the penalty area before laying it out wide to find Shankland. He squared it across the area where Graham Wilson me it 15 yards out and his shot took a slight deflection as it flew over the bar.

Talbot now made a double change with Samson & McDowall making way for Boyd & Stafford as Talbot switched to a 4-4-2. Rossvale also made a change with Diack replacing Kerr up top.

Rossvale had a chance to level it in the 70^th minute. Dolan’s cross from the right wasn’t dealt with in and it broke kindly for Hogg 12 yards out but he didn’t catch it cleanly & his right foot shot drifted wide of the left post.

With quarter of an hour remaining Talbot were forced into a final change when Healy went over on his ankle and had to hobble off to be replaced by Hyslop.

The home side had Talbot pegged back but without really testing Leishman and this was illustrated in the 82^nd minute when a poor clearance came out to J Young 25 yards from goal and he ballooned his shot over the bar & nearly out of the stadium.

Talbot were looking to hit on the break and launched a good counter with 5 minutes remaining. Aiden Wilson raced away on the left and whipped over a good early cross towards Graham Wilson that Morgan did well to intercept & head over his own bar. When Shankland’s corner came over from the left it was swung beyond the far post where it found Stafford in space but his header was held at his near post by Gordon.

With 2 minutes remaining Rossvale won a corner when Urquhart’s long diagonal ball was headed behind by Aiden Wilson. When the corner came over it resulted in a scrabble inside the 6-yard box which ended with Leishman palming the ball behind for a 2^nd corner but this time it came to nothing.

In the final minute of regulation time Talbot swept up the park on the counter-attack. Shankland fed it out to Graham Wilson on the right and his cross was met in the centre by the on rushing Aiden Wilson who flung himself to direct a diving header on target that was held by Gordon.

Deep into injury time Talbot had one final scare. A long shy from the left was thrown into the near post where it was headed back out to the left wing. Kavanagh gathered and curled a dangerous cross towards the back post but no one could get on the end of it and Talbot held out for the win.

A tough night for Talbot but another clean sheet and another valuable 3 points away from home. Next up for Talbot it is another trip to Glasgow this Saturday as the travel through to Newlandsfield for a top of the table clash with Pollok.

Rossvale – Gordon, Torrance, Hogg, Morgan, Young, Urquhart, Macdonald, Kavanagh, Kerr, Rodger, Dolan

Subs – Karamoko, J Young, Mallon, Diack, McKenzie, Mefford, Doherty (gk)

Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Aiden Wilson, McPherson, Craig McCracken, Armstrong, Healy, McDowall, Shankland, Samson, Graham Wilson

Subs – Boylan, Glasgow, Boyd, Robbie McCracken, Stafford, Hyslop, Hewitt (gk)