Talbot couldn’t have asked for a brighter start and had a chance within the opening minute. A ball through the centre was flicked on and found Nimmo through on goal but Watt came quickly off his line to narrow the angle and make the block.

A minute later Talbot tested the visiting keeper again. Wardrope hit a powerful drive across goal from the right of the area that Watt pushed wide of target.

Five minutes gone and Talbot had a third opportunity to take the lead. A ball up the left found Nimmo inside the box and he cut it back into the path of Schoneville whose shot flew across the face of goal and wide of the left post.

In the 10th minute Talbot were given a warning that went unheeded when Jones won a corner down the left. When it came over Douglas met it 6 yards out but it came off the back of his head and went wide of target.

Two minutes later Jones came in off the left and played a one-two with a team-mate to create the space for an opening but pulled his shot well wide from 20 yards out.

In the 20th minute Talbot won a corner down the right when a ball down the wing skied off Rodden’s head and went behind. Wardrope took it short to Gillies who swept a cross beyond the back post which was headed back across goal. It fell to Wilson 8 yards out who side-footed it on target only for Watt to save with his outstretched leg. Talbot kept the pressure going and came within a whisker moments later when Wardrope’s effort was touched onto his right hand post by Watt.

In the 22nd minute Talbot had another effort on target. Boyle squared it across to Gillies who slipped a pass inside to Schoneville who saw his low drive held by Watt at his right hand post.

Despite Talbot’s early dominance it was the visitors who took the lead in the 26th minute. A ball up the left was being shepherded out for a goal kick by Wilson but it broke off him and went behind for the corner. When the corner came in BRASS met it going away from goal and looped a free header inside the right post to put Broxburn a goal in front.

The goal was followed by a midfield stalemate with neither side making any progress in the final third for a spell.

Five minutes before the interval though Talbot had a golden chance to level. Nimmo flicked the ball onto Boyd and he in turn fed it right to find Wardrope free on the right of the penalty area. He was clean through on the keeper but Watt came out on top – stopping his low drive with his legs.

Talbot ended the half on the front foot but couldn’t get past the Broxburn defence and went in a goal behind.

Both sides made a change at the start of the 2nd period. Boyd, who had picked up a knock in the 1st half wasn’t fit to continue, and McAvoy came on in his stead with Broxburn replacing Turner with Thomson.

Talbot started the 2nd half as strongly as they had the first and saw another decent chance go a begging in the 48th minute. Wardrope slipped the ball inside to find Nimmo inside the box and he looked to be through on goal but was out-muscled by a defender who got back to nudge him off it.

A minute later Schoneville swung the ball over to the opposite wing to find Wardrope whose first time ball in was met by McAvoy. His shot clipped the outside of the right post but the flag had went up anyway.

In the 52nd minute Talbot had another opportunity. Gillies flighted it up the left into the area where McAvoy held off his marker before drilling a low shot on target that Watt saved at his right post.

The visitors hadn’t got forward too often but did manage a shot on target in the 56th minute. Jones slid a pass in off the left to find Bell and he fired a low shot straight at Armour.

Play then switched to the other end where a ball through the centre was met by a Broxburn defender whose clearing header fell to Wardrope who fired it just wide from 25 yards out.

The home fans thought Talbot should have had a penalty in the 59th minute. McAvoy had a defender’s arms wrapped around him as he tried to bring it under control and was hauled to the deck but the ref waved play on. It broke out right where it was angled low across goal with McAvoy just failing to connect at the back post.

Broxburn’s main threat was aerial and Brass came close again in the 61st minute when he met a cross from the right but his header looped up and over the bar.

Talbot now made a double switch with Nimmo & Boyle making way for Smith & Langan.

The two subs were involved almost immediately with Langan lifting a ball down the left to find Smith bursting into the area. He cut inside and tried to get off a right foot shot but it was blocked by a defender.

In the 64th minute Smith cut it back toward Gillies who saw his shot blocked behind for a corner on the left. When the corner came over Wilson met it to head it back across only to see it cleared off the line at the right hand post.

The Bot’s next effort saw McAvoy fire a right foot effort wide of target from 16 yards.

The visitors now made another change with Wardell replacing Jones.

With quarter of an hour remaining McAvoy won Talbot a corner down the left. Langan’s corner was only partially cleared and broke to Wardrope who played it short for Slooves to have a go and his effort was blocked behind for a corner out on the right. This time the corner was sent deep where Slooves guided a header back across to the far post where Watt gathered under pressure.

Both sides now made further changes with Wardrope & Schoneville making way for Abed & Thomson and Russell on for Bell for Broxburn.

The referee had been in a lenient mood all afternoon but did finally reach for a card in the 84th minute when he booked Brass for a late barge.

Talbot pushed hard in the closing stages but with Broxburn sitting deep couldn’t find a way through their defence.

As the game entered added time Talbot had one final late chance. A shy from the left was met by Smith who laid it back into the feet of Thomson whose low drive found the target from 15 yards but was held inside the right post by the keeper.

A frustrating afternoon for Talbot who played well enough but paid the price for not taking their chances.

Next up, Talbot are back in league action next Saturday when they host Benburb at Beechwood.

Auchinleck Talbot – Armour, Clark, Schoneville, Slooves, Wilson, Boyle, Sime, Wardrope, Boyd, Nimmo, Gillies

Subs – McAvoy, Smith, Abed, Thomson, Langan, Kerr, Miller, Cameron

Broxburn Athletic – Watt, Morris, Rodden, G Page, J Page, Bell, Douglas, Brass, Turner, McCrory, Jones

Subs – Pettigrew, Wardell, Downie, Mwana, Thomson, Ellis, Millar, Russell