Report: Murray Steele. Photographs: Craig McGhee, Media Lee Conn.
TALBOT HIT SIX IN TOLLCROSS
Talbot hit the opposition for a round half dozen as they swept Vale of Clyde aside to advance in the West of Scotland cup. 
The Bot started brightly and in the opening minute Miller’s header on found Nimmo on the right of the area and his attempted shot was blocked behind for a corner which Talbot failed to make the most of.
Two mins later Talbot won another corner. This one went deep to find McPherson who headed it back across goal where Gordon gathered.
The home side’s first attack came in the 5th minute. Duncan latched onto McPherson’s clearance and angled over a good cross from the right that just cleared Smith’s head in the centre.
In the 7th minute Sime lifted a ball over the top that found Gillies in a chase for it with the keeper. He collided with the keeper and as is usually the case the goalie got the benefit of the doubt and the ref gave the home side a free kick.
Talbot had a good chance to open the scoring in the 11th minute. Gordon played it out short to Richardson who was caught on it by Nimmo who robbed him of it to go through on goal. He tried to pass it beyond the keeper but Gordon’s leg kept it out – deflecting it behind for the corner.
For all Talbot’s early running Vale then had two good chances in quick succession to take the lead. Quarter of an hour in they won a corner down the left that was swung beyond the far post. Talbot failed to clear it and it fell kindly to Cherrie 12 yards out but he drilled his shot over the bar.
Two minutes later Vale missed a real sitter. Duncan’s long throw into the box wasn’t properly cleared by Gillies and came back out to Duncan. He whipped a cross into the centre to find Smith who got his free header all wrong and sent it way wide of target.
Having survived these scares Talbot took the lead in the 21st minute. Nimmo ran in behind down the right and turned it back to Sime who scuffed his initial effort. It came across to the left where it was gathered by Schoneville who burst into the area. He squared it inside to Gillies who helped it on to AUSTIN SIME who passed the ball low inside the left post.
A minute later Vale were struggling to prevent Talbot adding to their lead. A corner on the right was played back to Langan who curled a cross beyond the far post to pick out McPherson. His header back across goal had Gordon scrambling to punch it clear at his left post under pressure and again the ref gave the goalie the benefit of the doubt – awarding Vale a soft free kick.
Cookman received a yellow card in the 23rd minute when he hauled Nimmo back as he broke forward. Wilson took the resultant free kick and picked Schoneville out on the left who hit it first time on the half-volley – sending it looping just over the bar.
Talbot were now well on top and their next attack saw Gillies lift the ball out right to find Nimmo whose driven cross was cleared by a diving header.
the 29th minute Miller flighted a good ball up the line to find Nimmo and he swept over a good cross that found no takers in the middle.Talbot managed to double their lead in the 33rd minute. Sime played a good pass inside to find Boyd free on the right of the area and he squared it to ALEX NIMMO who side-footed home to make it 2-0.
With 38 mins gone Talbot nearly added a third. A shy from the left found Sime in the box and his low drive was well saved by Gordon. The rebound came up to Nimmo who nodded it over the bar.
The Bot did have the ball in the net in the 40th minute but a questionable offside call saw it chalked off. Schoneville cut inside into the area and played it to Boyd in front of goal. He touched it on to Nimmo who tapped it home at the back post but in the absence of linesmen the ref deemed it offside.
Duncan then became the 2nd Vale player in the ref’s book for a niggly foul on Schoneville. Despite some late pressure Talbot couldn’t add to their tally and went in two ahead at the break. 
Talbot started where they’d left off and had an effort at goal within a minute of the restart. A shy from the right found its way to Nimmo whose shot from a tight angle took a slight deflection en route to the side-netting.
In the 53rd minute Wardrope played it out wide left to Gillies who laid it back for Schoneville who fired over the bar from just outside the area.
A minute later Talbot put the game beyond doubt with their 3rd of the afternoon. Sime played it out wide to Wardrope who swept a cross over beyond the back stick where CONNOR BOYD met it to volley it back across and beyond the goalie.
The Bot’s next chance came when Langan carried it towards the box. He might have went for goal but instead fed it into the feet of Boyd who turned and fired over the bar.
Talbot’s relentless pressure continued and on the hour mark a shy from the left found Boyd inside the area. He cut it back to find Langan running onto it and his shot was tipped over the bar by Gordon. From the resultant corner McPherson headed over the bar.
With the game in the bag Talbot now made 4 changes with Gillies, Wardrope, Boyd and Nimmo making way for Thomson, Boyle, Smith & McAvoy. The home side also made a couple of changes with Smith & Duncan making way for Wright & Fraser.
Thomson was involved soon after coming on when he fed it out wide to find McAvoy free on the right but his final ball into the area was poor.
In the 68th minute Boyle played it down the right to find Thomson who drilled a good low ball across the face of goal which the defence did well to clear.
In the 70th minute Talbot won a free kick down the left for a foul on Smith. Langan curled it into the centre where McPherson headed it down into the turf and as it bounced up Gordon tipped it over the bar. The corner on the left was taken short to Thomson and when he swung a cross into the middle NEIL MCPHERSON powered a header inside the right post to make it 4-0.
albot now made a further change with Walker on for Sime.
The Bot’s next attack saw Miller drill the ball into Smith. He did well to bring it under instant control and knock it to his right to find McAvoy whose low drive was held by Gordon.
With quarter of an hour remaining Vale made a further change with Stokes on for Taylor. The home side then won a free kick out wide on the left which Cherrie drilled low across the area but the Bot defence were able to clear.
Eleven minutes from time Talbot won a free kick out on the right as they broke through Thomson. Langan delivered a good ball into the centre where it was met by Wilson but he’d got a fraction ahead of it and it careened off him and was cleared.
Two minutes from time McAvoy did well – hassling McDevitt out of possession before sliding a pass through to find ROSS SMITH racing through on goal and he tucked it past Gordon inside the right post to make it 5-0.
A minute later Talbot completed the scoring. Walker burst down the left into the area and floated a cross over. There was no one in the centre but Thomson retrieved it out on the right and lifted a cross onto the head of KYLE MCAVOY who nodded home to make it 6-0.
A very convincing win for the Bot who will be pleased by the fact that all 6 goals were scored by different players.
Next up for Talbot it’s back to Beechwood where they host current East Premier league leaders Jeanfield Swifts in the South Challenge cup.
Vale of Clyde – Gordon, Peebles, Cherrie, Richardson, McDevitt, Frances, Duncan, Cookman, Smith, Mitchell, Taylor
Subs – McCue, McNee, Stokes, O’Hare, Wright, Donaghy, Fraser
Auchinleck Talbot – Armour, Miller, Schoneville, McPherson, Wilson, Langan, Sime, Gillies, Boyd, Nimmo, Wardrope
Subs – McAvoy, Smith, Walker, Boyle, Thomson, Hanlon, Cameron (gk)
FOOTBALL BLOWN AWAY
