Report

MURRAYS MATCH REPORT

After the unbelievable high of last week it was back to reality for Talbot as they continued their defence of the Scottish Junior cup against high-flying Glencairn at Beechwood. And for the 3rd week in succession Talbot emerged triumphant in a cup tie; recording a 4-1 win to book their place in the quarter-finals.

A pre-match deluge meant both sides had to contend with a heavy surface and it was the visitors who settled quickest, knocking the ball around confidently, albeit without offering any goal threat. The first shot of the afternoon came in the 4th minute when a slick Glencairn move ended with Leyden screwing a shot well wide of target from distance.

For all Rutherglen’s accomplished start their defence proved suspect and Talbot won a penalty in the 7th minute in their 1st real attack. Leishman launched the ball down the centre where Samson rose to flick it on. It sped through to Graham Wilson inside the box & he was bundled over from behind as he was poised to shoot for a stonewaller. GORDON POPE coolly sent Whyte the wrong way to put Talbot 1-0 ahead.

Two minutes later Talbot threatened the Glencairn goal again. Pope’s cross was met by Hyslop who headed it down & across only for Whyte to make a good stop. The ball went loose in front of goal but there was nobody to prod it home & the defence recovered to clear.

A minute later play was halted when Gebbie picked up a nasty injury on the right touchline when he collided with the pitch side wall following a challenge from McPherson. Play was held up to allow for treatment but Gebbie had to leave the field via a stretcher with McGregor on in his stead.

Talbot spurned a glorious chance to double their lead in the 17th minute. Stephen Wilson lifted a ball up the right to send Samson scurrying clear & he squared it across the penalty area for the unmarked Graham Wilson but he lifted his shot over the bar from around the penalty spot.

Rutherglen were winning the possession stats but Talbot were looking by far the likelier to score and the next goal threat came on 28 mins when Graham Wilson raced onto a ball down the left. He side-stepped the keeper but forced wide all he could do was drill it low across the goal mouth where unfortunately for Talbot there was no one to tap home.

Talbot came close to grabbing their 2nd of the afternoon in the 35th minute. Pope swung a good cross over that Samson headed back across goal where Graham Wilson threw himself at it but his diving header went just wide of the right post.

There hadn’t been too many alarms at the back for Talbot but they were faced with a free kick just outside the penalty area in the 39th minute when Lyle clipped Esplin. Smith struck it but his shot flew into the wall & behind for a corner. When the corner came over Leyden met it to arrow a header on target but Lyle came to Talbot’s rescue; heading off the line inside the post.

This proved crucial as Talbot went straight up the park to double the lead. Leishman’s goal kick was headed on by Armstrong to Samson & he laid it inside to GRAHAM WILSON who raced through a gaping hole in the defence before burying a shot beyond Whyte.

A few minutes later Talbot turned defence to attack when McPherson out-muscled Simeon deep in Talbot’s half before clipping a ball through the centre to release Samson. He out-paced the defence & drilled a low shot on target which Whyte did well to save. The ball came loose but the defence reacted 1st to clear the rebound.

Talbot were ending the half strongly and nearly added another to their tally when Graham Wilson whipped a cross over from the left to find Samson in front of goal but the defence did enough to put him off & he couldn’t steer it on target.

As the half moved deep into injury time Talbot grabbed a 3rd goal. Hyslop slipped a pass through to find JAMIE GLASGOW in space on the left of the box & he slotted home to send Talbot in 3 goals to the good.

With Talbot in a commanding position the 2nd half got off to a fairly humdrum start.

The first chance didn’t come until the 56th minute when Talbot broke from defence to release Glasgow down the left. He cut inside McGregor & tried to curl one into the far corner but Whyte dived to his left to turn it behind for a corner.

Glencairn’s keeper did well again in the 61st minute. Pope sent Samson in behind down the left & he looked to surprise the keeper with an early low shot for the near post but Whyte managed to turn it away with his right foot.

A minute later Graham Wilson had a chance to add to his tally when he met a ball in from the right 10 yards out but he mis-kicked it.

Tucker now made a triple substitution with McIlroy, Kemp & Shankland coming on for Samson & the Wilson brothers.

Rutherglen were thrown a lifeline in the 65th minute when they pulled a goal back. Leyden jinked inside the box & lifted a cross over where SMITH met it. Leishman did well to save his initial header but it came straight back to the Glencairn striker who bundled it home.

Suddenly Glencairn had some wind in their sails and they gave Talbot a fright in the 69th minute when they almost grabbed a second. The Bot defence were napping at a corner down the left which was rolled back to the unmarked Esplin who drilled a shot just wide of the right post from 20 yards.

This let off galvanised Talbot who tested Whyte down the other end in their next attack. Shankland’s cross proved just too high for McIlroy at the back stick but Glasgow gathered it & powered a drive from a tight angle which Whyte tipped over the bar.

Rutherglen were unable to clear their lines from the resulting corner and when the ball came to Shankland on the left he clipped over a cross cum shot that had Whyte scrambling back to tip over his bar.

In the 74th minute Kemp had a good chance to get on the score sheet. The Glencairn defence were undone by misjudging the bounce of the ball allowing Kemp to race clear down the centre. He carried it to the edge of the box where he drilled a low effort inches wide of the right post.

With 11 minutes remaining Shankland almost scored when his deflected shot shaved the outside of the left post with the keeper helpless.

Talbot completed the scoring in the 81st minute. The Bot won a corner down the right & when Shankland’s delivery came over DWAYNE HYSLOP met it 6 yards out & knocked it home to make it 4-1.

A good win for Talbot against a good football playing side. Up next for Talbot it’s a return to league duties & a welcome break for the Beechwood playing surface as Talbot travel through to Springburn to face Petershill.

Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, McPherson, White, Armstrong, Hyslop, Stephen Wilson, Samson, Graham Wilson, Glasgow

Subs – McIlroy, Shankland, Kemp, Waite, Hewitt (gk)

Rutherglen Glencairn – Whyte, Gebbie, Millar, Donaldson, Kerr, Fraser, Leyden, Esplin, Smith, Simeon, McKay

Subs – Mitchell, Gormley, McGuire, McGregor, McLellan (gk)

Photographs by Paul Flynn.