Competition: SCOTTISH JUNIOR CUP

TALBOT’S EIGHTSOME REEL
Talbot cruised into the next round of the Scottish Cup winth a resounding 8-2 victory over Perth minnows Kinnoull. Even though the game was blighted with torrential rain a decent crowd had turned up at Tulloch Park and with the pitch getting the thumbs up after a 9 am inspection the scene was set for the Junior games equivalent of a David and Goliath fixture.
It took Talbot just 9 minutes to get themselves on the scoresheet when Mark Shankland robbed a defender to set up Bryan Young who fashioned some space after some nifty footwork before whipping in a wicked cross which was nodded past the keeper by the unmarked Graham Wilson.
Two minutes later it was 2-0 when Graham Wilson slid the ball past the keeper after Bryan Young once again turned provider when he picked up a long ball from Gordon Pope and hit a low cross in front of Wilson who made no mistake.
The home side after the initial Talbot “blitzkrieg” seemed to have steadied at the back but in was short lived when persistent pressure by Talbot saw the home side down 3-0 after Shankland and Young worked a short corner and Young’s cross was toe-poked through the keepers legs by Gordon Pope after the Kinnoull defence failed to clear..
Mark Shankland got on the scoresheet on 28 minutes when a GrahamWilson made a driving run into the box wand his pin point cross into the box was picked up by Hyslop who passed into the path of “Shankers” and he rifled the ball into the net.
Just before the interval Graham Wilson made it 5-0 when he poked the ball into the net after a crafty 1-2 with Paul Hyslop.The relief on the home sides players faces showed signs of shell shock a they had come to terms that they could be on a hiding of epic proportions.
Kinnoull to their credit came out for the second half with a gung-ho attitude and got the first of their consolation goals a quarter of an hour after the interval when Andy Leishman rolled a ball to Steven White but he misread the speed of the ball and was forced to make a block with his legs where the loose ball landed at the feet of Jamie Gill who passed the ball into the net from 20 yards to make it 5-1.
Talbot made it 6-1 when Gordon Pope went on a mazy run into the box where picked out Hyslop he found Lee Cochrane at the edge of the box and his cross was bicycle kicked over the keepers head by Graham Wilson to give the striker his hat trick. With the game coming to an end Lee Cochrane worked a bit of magic at the home side bye line where he left his marker for dead and his low cross was flicked into the net By Dwayne Hyslop
Kinoull pulled a goal back when the referee adjudged that Steven White had pulled down a player in the box, and although it seemed soft the big Kinnoull substitute Steven Harris made no mistake from the spot.
With time running out the scoring was finished by Hyslop when he was left unmarked to head a David Gillies cross into the net. I was a result that was expected and it was a good display on a rain sodden pitch in terrible conditions.

Match Report by Murray
Talbot returned to winning ways to advance past Tranent in the Scottish but were made to work for it by an impressive home side.
The Bot started strongly and nearly took the lead in the 4th minute from a corner on the left. When the ball came in McGoldrick thumped a header on target that Inglis did well to save. Young tried to prod home the rebound but couldn’t force his shot home in a crowded goal mouth.
A minute later the Bot threatened again. Young fed the ball out to Love in space on the left of the area and Inglis did well to block away his low drive on target.
After the frenetic opening the game settled down and the home side gradually began to play their way into it, without really threatening the Talbot goal.
It was the Bot who came close again after 16 minutes. Tranent looked vulnerable at set pieces and McGoldrick again managed to get a free header on a corner, this time from the right, but he sent it wide of target.
Wilson became the 1st name in the ref’s notebook when he was cautioned after 23 mins for a late challenge in midfield.
A rush of blood from Inglis gifted Talbot a penalty in the 25th minute. The keeper raced off his line to reach a ball down the left he was never favourite to win and all he succeeded in doing was up ending Wilson inside the box. POPE stepped up and coolly waited on the keeper moving before sending the ball the other way to put Talbot 1-0 ahead.
Tranent responded positively to falling behind and put together a good move in the 27th minute. Smith, Tranent’s best player on the day, sprayed a good pass out right to find Manson on the wing & he swept a low ball across the face of goal which Lyle cleared at the back post.
Tranent’s 1st real effort at goal came on the half hour mark. Slack marking from Talbot at a shy allowed Murray a bit of space 25 yards out and he fired just wide of the right post.
The home side were growing in confidence but lacked any cutting edge in the final third and Talbot saw out the remainder of the half quite comfortably. A minute before the interval Talbot had a half chance to grab a 2nd goal. White laid the ball off to Love just outside the area but he couldn’t keep his half volley under the bar and Talbot went in a goal up at the interval.
The Tranent manager’s half-time pep talk certainly fired the home side up and from the start of the 2nd half they took the game to Talbot.
The first threat to the Bot defence came in the 48th minute. McMillan slid the ball out right to Manson. He fired a dangerous cross to the back post where Lyle dived full length to head clear.
Talbot had an opportunity down the other end in the 51st minute when they won a free kick 35 yards from goal following a Tranent hand ball. Wilson swerved his shot over the wall but it just didn’t come down in time and flew over the crossbar.
For all Tranent’s passing their clearest chance to date came via a long punt out from their keeper. Inglis launched it down the left toward Fisher. Hyslop appeared to be in control of the situation but was easily out-muscled by the Tranent winger who broke into the box before firing into the side-netting from a tight angle.
Talbot had a real let off in the 55th minute. Pope’s slack pass out from the back was intercepted and lobbed in behind the defence. McMillan ran onto it and lifted it over the advancing Leishman only for his lob to come off the face of the bar allowing Lyle to clear.
With Talbot having come off 2nd best after the interval it wasn’t a great surprise when Tucker made changes, making a double substitution in the 57th minute with Milliken on for Wilson and Latta replacing Hyslop.
However, the home side continued to have the best of it and tested Leishman on the hour mark.
A shy from the right was worked inside to Smith who found himself in space just outside the box but he drilled his low shot straight at Leishman.
The same player had another couple of chances in quick succession, but simply repeated his earlier effort, hitting the target from outside the area but each shot going straight down the throat of Leishman who comfortably held them.
It had been a while since Talbot had crossed the halfway line but Love had half a chance in the 65th minute. He did well initially to break into the box from the right wing but couldn’t test the keeper from an acute angle and Inglis made an easy save by his near post.
The home side made a loud penalty appeal in the 67th minute. Inglis hoofed a long ball down the right that flew over the Bot defence. Manson raced onto the end of it and tumbled under a challenge but the ref saw nothing wrong with it and waved play on.
Pope picked up Talbot’s 2nd caution of the afternoon when he was shown a yellow card on 69 mins for conceding a free kick.
The free kick was switched out to the left where Fisher whipped in a cross that Manson headed over the bar under pressure.
Tranent now made their 1st change with Hawkins on in place of Miller.
The home side had a glorious chance to equalise in the 74th minute. Yet again, Talbot were caught out by a route one ball from Inglis. He launched a ball down the right that found Manson in space on the right. He had time to look up and pick out a cross to the far post to find the unmarked Fisher. It looked on for a header but instead he attempted the volley and Leishman saved it inside his near post.
Tranent now made a further change with Beaton coming on for Wojtowycz.
With 10 minutes remaining both sides committed their last subs, Shankland replacing Love up top for Talbot and Flynn coming on for Fisher.
Talbot nearly added a 2nd that would have killed the tie off in the 81st minute. Pope’s free kick was floated to the far corner of the box where Campbell won it and headed back across goal but wide of the far post.
With 5 minutes remaining Shankland burst free on the right and raced into the area but he didn’t compose himself and blazed his shot wide of the left post.
Talbot finally ended Tranent’s hopes with two minutes remaining. White was fouled out on the left and this time Pope played the set piece into the near post where YOUNG glanced a header beyond Inglis to put Talbot 2-0 ahead.
Talbot might have even extended their lead in the final minute. Milliken sped clear on the left before squaring it to Shankland. He had the space to shoot but instead opted to roll it back to Milliken allowing Gordon to intercept.
This was a hard fought cup tie and Talbot will be relieved to have made it through at the 1st time of asking. Next up for Talbot it is the first home game for a good while as Hurlford come visiting in the league.

Tranent – Inglis, Patterson, Wojtowycz, Gordon, McKenzie, Miller, Manson, D Smith, McMillan, Murray, Fisher

Subs – Hunter, Hawkins, Smeaton, Beaton, Flynn

Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, McGoldrick, Campbell, Boyd, Young, White, G Wilson, Love, Hyslop

Subs – Shankland, Milliken, Latta, S Wilson, Cochrane

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