Talbot firmly put Cumnock in their place with a dominant display in their Scottish cup encounter at Townhead; routing the home side 5-1 to the delight of the majority of the crowd.
Right from the off Talbot looked the hungrier side & could have taken the lead inside 3 minutes. Pope lifted a ball down the left to McIlroy who laid it inside to Hyslop. He got the break of the ball & carried on into the penalty area where he lifted a shot over the bar from 16 yards.
The opener came in the 9th minute after a messy spell of play out on the right. The ball ricocheted around before being gathered by Glasgow who surged on a diagonal run before releasing the ball to the unmarked SHANKLAND on the left of the area & he coolly passed the ball across goal past Semple to put Talbot 1-0 ahead.
Talbot continued to press & put together a neat move down the left in the 16th minute. Shankland & Glasgow combined well before the move was abruptly ended by a late tackle from Lundie. Shankland took the free kick & curled a dangerous ball over beyond the back post that floated out for a goal kick.
The Cumnock keeper was put to the test in the 19th minute when Shankland gathered on the left, knocked it past Murray, and lifted a cross beyond the far post where Glasgow met it only to see his effort blocked by Semple.
Esplin picked up the game’s 1st caution, in the 21st minute, for a late challenge on Hyslop 35 yards from goal. POPE took the free kick & fired a low shot straight down the centre that slipped through the hands of Semple like a bar of wet soap to put Talbot two ahead.
Cumnock looked a team drained of belief and they nearly fell further behind in the 25th minute. Talbot won a corner which was whipped into the near post where Harvey directed it onto target only for Semple to dive & turn it round the right post.
Talbot were looking very comfortable in their lead but Cumnock slowly began to make some headway & their 1st real chance of the match came in the 36th minute. Anson managed to flick the ball over McPherson & it briefly looked like he would have a sight of goal but the ball ran away from him inside the box.
It was almost game over in the 40th minute when Talbot came close twice to adding to their lead. Pope sent Shankland free on the left of the Nock penalty area & he brought the best out of Semple who did well to turn his drive round the post. When the corner came over Hyslop rose to meet it & did everything right, heading it down, but a Nock defender fortuitously got in the way & the defence cleared.
For all Talbot’s dominance the game was thrown back into the balance 3 minutes before the interval when Cumnock pulled a goal back. Talbot were caught dreaming at a Cumnock shy & when the ball was thrown in from the right ANSON met it to guide a header low inside Leishman’s right post.
On the stroke of half-time Cumnock, much against the run of play, threatened to produce a leveller. Talbot were on the attack and Steven Wilson appeared to be bundled over 25 yards out but the ref waved play on. Cumnock swiftly countered & a ball over the top found Samson running into the Bot penalty area. He had a chance to go for the shot but chose to keep going & dallied on the ball too long before being dispossessed, and so Talbot left the field a goal to the good at the interval.
The Cumnock support had been offered a flicker of hope when they pulled a goal back but it didn’t survive long in a 2nd half where Talbot were in complete control from the off.
The Bot could have extended their lead in the 49th minute. Glasgow’s slide rule pass took the Nock defence out the equation to send McIlroy free on the right but his 1st touch proved too heavy & Semple raced off his line to dive at his feet to smother the ball.
Two minutes later Shankland tried his luck from distance. White’s header found him on space on the right & he drilled a shot on target that Semple parried away.
The pressure finally told & Talbot grabbed their 3rd goal in the 54th minute. Lyle lifted a cross into the centre which glanced off a defender’s head & came out to the left. SHANKLAND ghosted past Muir & arrowed a neat finish across goal & into the bottom corner to put Talbot in command.
Any hopes of a Cumnock fightback were ended on the hour mark when Talbot moved 4-1 ahead.
The Cumnock defence were unable to clear their lines & the ball pinged back & forth 30 yards out before falling to Shankland. He deftly chipped the ball through to GLASGOW who buried it low past Semple.
Cumnock now made a double substitution bringing on Hilton & M McKenzie.
Samson did well out on the right in the 63rd minute. He controlled a long ball over the top & whipped a dangerous cross over that Lyle had to head over his own bar.
Hyslop had his name taken a minute later for a late challenge, resulting in a Cumnock free kick 25 yards from goal. Samson took it but drilled his shot straight into the wall.
An incisive counter-attack almost saw Talbot add to their lead. Glasgow brought the ball out from the back & raced into the Nock half before finding Steven Wilson on the right. He crossed it first time into the centre where McIlroy bulleted a header for goal but it went straight at Semple.
Tucker now made his 1st change with Graham Wilson on for McIlroy.
Glasgow nearly nabbed his 2nd of the afternoon in the 70th minute. He latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area & sent a low shot skidding off the outside the right post with the keeper well beaten.
Talbot made their 2nd change in the 75th minute with Faulds replacing Hyslop in midfield and a few minutes later Tucker completed his changes when Thomson came on for Steven Wilson.
The scoring was complete in the 85th minute when Talbot added their 5th goal from an unlikely source. Glasgow spread the ball out to Shankland on the left & he fired a low ball across the face of goal which LYLE bundled home from close range.
As the clock ticked down the referee took pity on the hosts with a couple of sympathy vote decisions. In the final minute of regulation time Glasgow was clearly tripped in the penalty box but the ref waved play on & deep into injury time Crawford ought to have been shown a straight red for a crude challenge on Thomson but the ref only booked him.
A great derby win for Talbot to book their place in the last 16 of the Scottish. Next week it is back to league duty & an away day at Pollok.Cumnock – Semple, Muir, Ballantyne, Lundie, Murray, Crawford, Samson, Burns, Anson, Esplin, Montgomerie

Subs – S McKenzie, Hilton, M McKenzie, Hunter, Johnston (gk)

Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, McPherson, Harvey, S Wilson, White, Hyslop, McIlroy, Glasgow, Shankland

Subs – G Wilson, Faulds, Thomson, McCracken, Armstrong

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