Talbot made it 5 wins in a row after an entertaining 90 mins against St Cadoc’s at a sun drenched Beechwood.

The Bot got off to a flying start and had a couple of chances within the opening minutes. Firstly Boyle played it on to Boyd on the left of the area and his right foot shot for goal was blocked by McKillen. In the next attack Boyd climbed to win a header and the ball broke to Langan who burst into the area. He laid it out right to Mitchell whose cross found Gillies in space but he fired over the bar.

At the other end Schoneville did well when McLaughlin’s cross picked out McManus in space on the right of the area – getting across quickly to block his shot at goal.

In the 6th minute Mitchell fed it on to the overlapping Gillies whose low ball across goal was intercepted by McKillen. The visitors came close in the 8th minute. Sweeney hit a good pass out to the left to find McLaughlin who cut inside and worked it across to Hughes whose low drive was kept out by Armour – diving low to his left to make the stop. Boyd nearly scored a classic in the 11th minute. Mitchell gathered on the right and cut back onto his left foot before crossing it into the centre. Boyd met it with his back to goal and steered an overhead kick for goal that was brilliantly kept out by Currie at his left hand post.

The game was flowing end to end and St Cadoc’s produced a good stop from Armour in the 12th minute when Armour pushed McLaughlin’s 20 yard effort wide of the left post. Talbot then threatened twice in quick succession down the left. Boyd played it across the area to find Mitchell who sent a low ball across the face of goal that only needed a touch. Then in the Bot’s next attack Schoneville burst into the penalty area and tried to cut it back across goal. His initial effort was blocked and came back to him and his 2nd ball across goal was also cut out.

In the 16th minute Boyle played it out wide right to find Boyd and he whipped over a great ball that again only needed a touch in the centre.

After this quickfire start the game entered a lull with little happening in the final third. In the 34th minute Sweeney received a caution for a trip on Langan as he burst forward. The visitors took the lead in the 37th minute. Armour has been in good form since the turn of the year but this is one he’ll want to forget as McLAUGHLIN’S effort from 22 yards skipped off the turf just before reaching him and went through his arms and into the back of the net.

St Cadocs lead didn’t last long though with Talbot equalising in the 39th minute. Schoneville whipped a good cross over to the back post where AUSTIN SIME out-muscled his marker to get to it and stroked it home from close range. Two mins before the break Sweeney went down after chasing a ball into the Talbot box. There seemed nothing in it but he couldn’t continue and St Cadocs saw out the last mins of the half a man down. Talbot nearly took advantage of this as they came close twice in added time. Wilson played the ball into the path of Langan who carried it up to the edge of the box before firing on target with Currie tipping his shot over the bar. In the final action of the half Gillies back-heeled the ball into the path of Schoneville whose curling right foot effort sailed just wide of the far post and the sides went in level at the break.

During the half-time break Talbot’s 2011 youth squad paraded their league trophy around the ground to great acclaim.

St Cadocs made 3 changes at the start of the 2nd half with Cameron, McQuilken & Adam on for Sweeney, McManus & Munro. The visitors tested Armour in the 49th minute when Cameron bustled forward before finding McTaggart in the area. His shot at goal was helped over the bar by Armour. In the 51st minute Gillies & Schoneville combined down the left to win Talbot a corner. When the corner came over beyond the back post McPherson won it and headed it back into the mix but a defender managed to clear it. A minute later Brady’s quick pass down the left looked to have released McTaggart but Schoneville raced back to put it behind for a corner.

Talbot then put together a neat passing move that ended with Langan threading a pass into the feet of Gillies inside the area. His shot was blocked and spun across toward Mitchell who had it nicked off his toes as he went to shoot. In the 55th minute a long diagonal ball found Boyd on the left of the area but he didn’t connect with it and his shot was easily saved by Currie. Two mins later Langan found Kerr out on the wing and his cross was blocked by McLaughlin’s arm – resulting in a free kick 20 yards out. Mitchell took it but got far too much on it and his shot sailed well over.

It was now all Talbot and McKillen did well on the hour mark to cut out Gillies cross from the left with a good clearing header. Within a minute Talbot came close to taking the lead. Kerr won it and drove forward before playing it wide to Mitchell. He cut inside and dinked a dangerous ball across the 6 yard area that hit off Sime and went wide of the far post. Talbot’s pressure paid off in the 64th minute. Langan carried it upfield before sliding it left to find Gillies running forward. He cut it back across the box where AUSTIN SIME ran onto it and placed it inside the left post from 15 yards.

The Bot now made a double change up top with Boyd & Mitchell making way for McAvoy & Nimmo. In the 70th minute McAvoy raced forward and was unlucky not to release Nimmo through on goal, his pass coming off the heel of a defender. It came back to him and he was bundled over from behind resulting in a free kick 30 yards out. Boyle took it and lifted it up and over the wall but just wide of the right post with the keeper well beaten. In the 76th minute Jack picked up a head knock after an aerial joust and left the field to be replaced by McLuckie.

77 mins gone and Talbot had a half chance to extend their lead. Sime chipped the ball over the defence to find Nimmo in the heart of the area but he took a touch before hitting it and was closed down with his shot blocked.

 With 10 mins to go Talbot completed the scoring. McAvoy won a corner on the right which Gillies lifted over to the back post where AUSTIN SIME completed his hat-trick with a header inside the right post.

In the 84th minute Sime nearly added a fourth to his tally. Langan’s in swinging corner from the left was flapped away by Currie and came out to Sime who tried to place it and saw his shot deflected just past the left post. Talbot now made further changes with McCluskie & Darnbrough of the development team on for Langan & Kerr. Talbot were still looking for more and McAvoy went close when he raced forward down the left before checking inside and firing a right foot shot just wide of the left post. In the closing stages Talbot made their final change with Sime making way for Clark. In the final action of the afternoon Nimmo burst forward toward the penalty area. He had McCluskie free to his right but had the time & space to fancy it himself and fired just over the bar from 20 yards.

Another good win for the Bot who are ending the season on a high. Next up Talbot are back at Beechwood in midweek when they play their final home league game against Troon.

Auchinleck Talbot – Armour, Kerr, Schoneville, Wilson, McPherson, Langan, Boyle, Sime, Boyd, Mitchell, Gillies, Subs – McAvoy, Nimmo, McCluskie, Darnbrough, Clark

St Cadocs – Currie, Jack, Munro, Slattery, McKillen, Brady, Sweeney, McManus, McTaggart, Hughes, McLaughlin

Subs – McQuilken, Cameron, Gallagher, McLuckie, Adam, Inglis, Caldwell (gk)