Report

Talbot clinched the 2018/19 league title in style as they romped to a 5-0 away win at Troon as Hurlford fell to defeat at the hands of Rob Roy.

From the outset Talbot played at a high tempo and had the hosts on the back foot from the off. There were several near things before Talbot made the breakthrough in the 6th minute. Samson scampered clear on the right and pulled it back into the centre where DWAYNE HYSLOP stroked it past the keeper from 15 yards.

The early goal spurred Talbot on & they laid siege to the Troon defence. McCreadie did well to head Samson’s cross clear at his near post and shortly after Johnstone had to be at full stretch to take Graham Wilson’s cross from the left wing.

Troon hadn’t been at the races but did have an effort at goal with quarter of an hour gone. Pooler squared the ball inside to McCrea who tried his luck from 25 yards; drilling a powerful shot a few feet over the bar.

A minute later, and a needless penalty gave Talbot the opportunity to double their lead. McCreadie blatantly shoved Graham Wilson in the back as he shielded the ball going away from goal and the ref had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. GORDON POPE did the rest; sending Johnstone the wrong way to put Talbot 2-0 ahead.

It wasn’t McCreadie’s evening and he found himself in the ref’s notebook with 20 mins gone when he barged into Wilson. Pope took the free kick & sent it out wide to Graham Wilson whose cross was headed just over the bar by McCracken at the back post.

A minute later the woodwork prevented Talbot from adding to their lead. Hyslop played a ball in behind the defence for Samson to chase down. Johnstone raced out his area to clear but his attempted clearance came straight to Armstrong on the right wing. He lifted a cross into the area where Graham Wilson climbed to head it goal ward only to see it crash off the bar with the keeper stranded.

Talbot worked the keeper again in the 28th minute. Samson brushed Strachan off the ball inside the Troon area. The defender went over easily but the ref waved play on and Samson fired a shot from a tight angle that Johnstone blocked at his near post.

The home side now made a change with McCrea leaving the field to be replaced by Fulton.

The Troon goal had a close call in the 31st minute when Talbot won a free kick out on the right. Glasgow fizzed in a dangerous delivery that flicked off Hyslop’s head before cannoning off McCracken a few yards out and flying over the bar.

McCreadie had a lucky escape in the 40th minute when he sent Glasgow crashing as he broke forward. It looked worthy of a 2nd yellow but the ref contented himself with awarding Talbot the free kick 30 yards out. Graham Wilson took it and fired it up and over the wall but Johnstone was well positioned to pluck it out the air under his crossbar.

Talbot had one final chance to add to their lead before the interval. Glasgow played it into the feet of Samson who returned it back into the path of Glasgow but he couldn’t beat the keeper from 15 yards with Johnstone coming off his line block his shot.

Perhaps aware of the Hurlford score line Talbot took their foot off the gas at the start of the 2nd half and Troon enjoyed a good spell of pressure.

The home side nearly pulled one back in the 52nd minute. Morrison got free down the left and cut it back to Maley whose side-footed finish was brilliantly saved by Leishman at his right hand post.

Two minutes later Talbot were nearly caught on the counter-attack. Glasgow slung a free kick into the Troon box that was cleared out to the right touchline where McCracken lost out to Chatham. Troon then swiftly broke down the right with Maley playing it to Stevenson whose cross into the area was cleared by Lyle.

Talbot needed something to spark them back to life & it duly came in the 56th minute. Hyslop swivelled to leave his marker for dead & played it to Armstrong on the left of the area. He left a couple of defenders in his wake thanks to some nifty footwork; all that was missing was a goal to top off the move but Armstrong’s low drive was blocked by Paterson.

An hour in Talbot had the home defence stretched when Lyle’s pass sent Glasgow free on the right. He whipped a great low ball across the face that only needed a touch but unfortunately there were not takers.

Tucker made his first change in the 64th minute with McDowall coming on for Glasgow.

Talbot are always a threat at set pieces and nearly added to their goal haul in the 65th minute. Samson forced a corner down the right that he took himself. He delivered it into the 6-yard area where Hyslop headed it down into the turf but it skipped up off the hard surface and bounced over the bar.

Two minutes later Samson made a great burst down the left into the penalty box. He left McCreadie in his wake but the ball just wouldn’t sit right for him to get his strike away and Johnstone came off his line to do enough to put it behind for the corner. When the corner came in Troon could only clear it out as far as Pope who drilled a low shot on target that Strachan cleared off the line inside the left post.

Talbot were rewarded for their pressure in the 70th minute when they grabbed a 3rd goal to make certain of the victory. Samson kept the ball well under pressure just inside the Troon half before sliding a pass through to JACK MCDOWALL who raced clean through the centre, knocking it past the advancing keeper, before passing it into the empty net.

Talbot now made a double substitution with Samson and Graham Wilson making way for McIlroy and Shankland.

With quarter of an hour remaining Talbot made it 4-0. McIlroy won a corner on the right when McCreadie cut out his ball across the area and when the corner came in ROSS HARVEY met it unopposed to nod Talbot further ahead.

Troon now made a further change with Reid replacing Green.

McIlroy very nearly got on the score sheet in the 81st minute. A quickly taken corner saw Shankland whip a cross into the near post where McIlroy saw his header deflected off target off a defender.

With 8 minutes remaining Troon completed their changes when Martin came on for Pooler.
Johnstone denied McCracken a goal in the 84th minute. Shankland got away down the right and hung a cross into the goal mouth where McCracken met it to head on target but the keeper did well to save it on the line.

Chatham received a yellow card in the 86th minute for a professional foul on McCracken as he raced toward the box. Shankland took the free kick from 25 yards but suffice to say it wasn’t one of his better efforts as he got under it to balloon a shot well over.

A minute from time Talbot completed the scoring. GORDON POPE surged forward before passing it into the feet of McIlroy on the left of the area. He laid it back into his path and Pope drilled a low shot across Johnstone into the far corner to grab is 2nd and Talbot’s 5th of the evening.

A superb performance from Talbot who were crowned worthy league champions with 4 games to spare.

Troon Juniors – Johnstone, Paterson, Morrison, McCreadie, Strachan, Chatham, Green, McCrea, Stevenson, Maley, Pooler

Subs – Reid, Crawford, McClay, Fulton, Martin

Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, Harvey, McPherson, McCracken, Hyslop, Armstrong, Graham Wilson, Samson, Glasgow

Subs – McIlroy, Shankland, McDowall, Waite, Stephen Wilson