Report

A CASE FOR THE DEFENCE.

Report: Jim McAuley, Photography: Craig McGhee, Media: Ross Newlands.

Talbot were left licking their wounds after this mauling by Lowland League side Clydebank in the inaugural playing of the WOSL Charity Cup where the Talbot certainly took the name charity to heart by gifting at least three of the home clubs goals as well once again missing a number of chances.

Talbot were handed a warning in the opening minutes when Low sent a cheeky lob over the Talbot defence where McLauchlin wriggled his way past Clark but his tame shot was smothered by Muir. However the same move was reciprocated in the sixth minute when this time Cairns dinked a superb ball into the path of McLaughin who had lost the entire Talbot defence and he expertly lobbed the ball over the head of the advancing Muir and into the net.

Talbot fashioned a decent chance on twelve minutes when a clearance by Muir looped over the home defence and onto the foot of McAvoy. However before he got the chance to shoot he was crowded out and ballooned his shot over the bar. Talbot’s unwillingness to shoot on site cost them dearly a few minutes later when Thomson had a sight of the target but elected to pass to McAvoy who was quickly swamped by the home side defence.

The game see-sawed from end to end with Clydebank playing pretty football while Talbot elected to drop the ball over the home back line which was causing concern every time the ball was shelled forward. Willie Muir turned provider once again when his long punt upfield was headed onto McAvoy who this time managed to shake off his defender but his shot was of the tame affair that Leishman managed to gather.

Clydebank’s Gallagher was unlucky to not to have scored when he made a lung bursting run to the edge of the box but he could only watch as his shot went narrowly wide. On the fortieth minute McAvoy must have thought he had drawn the sides level when Thomson headed a Muir free kick over the Bankies defence into the path of the striker who slipped the ball under Leishman but he didn’t get enough strength on the shot which trundled near the goal line only to be hooked clear by Grant.

Four minutes later Talbot were two behind due the cruellest of luck when Nimmo was robbed of possession just outside the box by Low who proceeded to hammer a low shot towards the Talbot goal where it unfortunately cannoned off Wilson and into the path of McCann who gave Willie Muir no chance from close in.

For the start of the second half Brown replaced Muir in nets while Syme, Wardrobe and Thomson were replaced by Trialist 14, Boyle and Langan.

Talbot were quick off the mark in the second period when again McAvoy gave the home side the slip albeit with the help of his hand but he was forced wide and shot well over Leishman’s bar, minutes later the striker fizzed a shot on goals but once again it flew well over the bar.

The game was put to bed on the 50th minute when a Bankies free kick was floated into the box where Little rose above the static Talbot back line and headed the ball off the post, McLaughlin was the quicked to react and his shot spun off the chest of Wood, squirmed right across the face of the goal and into the path of Little who hammered the loose ball home.

The game had progressed to a midfield slog which at times was getting rather tetchy as players were getting frustrated on the way the game was flowing. Deans and Grant were carded for two cynical tackles while Langan was shown a yellow for talking back to the referee. However the home side soon capitalised on more poor defending when a Boyle pass was intercepted, swept down the wing where Little stepped over the low ball into the box leaving Low time to shoot, but Brown got a foot to it and once again it cannoned off Wilson into the path of the unmarked Low who this time made no mistake

Talbot replaced McAvoy and Nimmo with Trialist 12, and Boyd on 70 minutes, and for the remaining twenty minutes Talbot played their better football where they pulled a goal back on 83 minutes when Trialist 14 out-muscled the home defender, tapped the ball to Boyd who drew Leishman towards him before passing to the Trialist 12 who tapped the ball home.

With the full time looming Talbot were unlucky not to pull another goal back when Gillies fed the ball into the box where Boyd did everything he was supposed to but the leg of Leishman stopped his attempt.

Clydebank also should have added to their scoreline when Brown fluffed a Clark pass back which was pounced on by Black and with some true style he curled the ball past Brown but his shot came off the post and back into the arms of the relieved keeper.

The referee’s whistle ended the match with the home side being worthy winners. Granted if Talbot had any luck at least three of the goals wouldn’t have counted, but credit to the Bankies as when the chances were presented they were clinical. To be honest I feel sorry for the backroom staff who were left to juggle trialists and U20’s throughout our pre-season, which is not the ideal situation. Next Saturday we play for real.

CLYDEBANK: Leishman, Grant (Hodge), McHugh, McGowan (Preston), Syme, Low, Gallacher (Collins), Cairns, McCann (Truesdale), Little (Hutchison), McLaughlin (Black). Unused Sub: Clarke.

TALBOT: Muir (Brown), Clark, Kerr, Wilson, Wood, Sime (Langan), Gillies, Wardrobe (Boyle), McAvoy (Boyd), Nimmo (Trialist 12), Thomson (Trialist 14). Unused Sub: Hanlon.