Competition: SCOTTISH CUP

MURRAYS REPORT

Talbot did it the hard way – edging a nerve wracking 2^nd round tie after penalties to book their place in Monday’s 3^rd round draw of the senior cup.

The Bot made a sprightly start to this tie and in the 1^st minute Shankland fed the ball into Samson on the left of the area who turned his man and whipped in a dangerous cross that was well cleared.

Talbot continued to press but were sucker punched in the 6^th minute when Bo’ness opened the scoring the first time they’d been in the Talbot half. Stevenson spread the ball out to the overlapping Hawkins whose cross into the centre was headed clear. It came out to GEMMEL just outside the box and he thumped a shot into the roof of the net giving Leishman no chance.

The game now became very stop/start with Talbot winning a series of free kicks 30+ yards out but unable to produce a ball into the box that got the better of the home sides defence.

In the 19^th minute Walker had his name taken for a late challenge on Wardrope and two minutes later McCormack was fortunate not to join him in the ref’s book when he was penalised for the 2^nd time for a clumsy aerial challenge.

Both sides were competing fiercely in midfield but with neither making any openings in the final third.

On the half hour mark Wardrope slung over a good cross from the right touchline but it just eluded G Wilson and Samson in the centre.

In the 37^th minute Talbot won a free kick wide of the Bo’ness penalty area after Miller clipped Graham Wilson’s heels. Wardrope curled it beyond the back post where McCracken got a glancing header on it but it went well wide.

Three minutes later Talbot won another free kick in a dangerous area – this time wide on the right following Genmel’s shirt tug on Samson for which he was booked. Wardrope fired it into the centre but as they’d done all first half Bo’ness did well to head it clear under pressure.

A minute before the interval Samson was almost through on the keeper as he raced onto a ball through the centre but McCormack got back to make a crucial recovery tackle to clear the danger.

The half ended in controversy when Genmel caught Shankland late. It looked as though the ref was reaching for his pocket but then thought better of it when he realised Genmel had already been booked and this sparked a protest from the Talbot bench which saw Alan McCluckie booked for dissent, shortly before the sides trooped off the field.

Talbot came out strongly at the start of the 2^nd half and won a free kick 30 yards from goal in the 47^th minute. Shankland went for goal but his shot hit off the wall and spun behind for a corner which Talbot wasted.

Two minutes later Talbot came within a whisker of drawing level. Aiden Wilson’s cross broke into the path of Shankland inside the area and he aimed a low shot just inside the right hand post that saw Dibaga dive full length to tip it round the post.

Talbot’s pressure paid off in the 53^rd minute when the Bot grabbed the equaliser. A good passing move saw the ball moved from the left into Shankland in the centre. He might have opted to go for goal himself from 18 yards but slotted the ball to his right to find ALLY PARK in space and he blasted a shot across Dibaga and into the far corner to make it 1-1.

Two minutes later Graham Wilson met a shy from the left and touched it into the path of McCracken 20 yards out but his shot flew over the target.

The home side now made a change with Watt coming on for Miller.

In the 57^th minute Talbot won a free kick 40 yards out following Locke’s foul on Samson. Wardrope whipped a great ball over and Graham Wilson looked set to score but fired wide though it wouldn’t have counted anyway as the assistant flagged for offside.

Bo’ness hadn’t really been seen as an attacking force since the re-start but they gave Talbot a scare in the 62^nd minute. Watt looked suspiciously offside as he ran onto a ball over the top but the flag stayed down and he cut the ball back across goal to Smith but it went behind him and with his back to goal he wasn’t able to turn on it. He knocked it back to Watt at the edge of the area but he was closed down as he went to shoot.

The home fans appealed for a penalty in the 65^th minute when Walker got away down the right and pulled it back into the path of Genmel whose shot was blocked. Bo’ness appealed for handball but the officials weren’t interested.

Tucker now made a double switch up top with Shankland & Samson making way for Boylan & Mason.

Both sides soon made further changes with Bo’ness bringing on Hamilton in place of Smith and Talbot introducing Taylor for Park.

Taylor made an early impact winning Talbot a free kick on the right angle of the penalty area when he was tumbled over. Wardrope swung it into the centre where Graham Wilson headed it wide but once again the assistant’s flag was raised for offside.

In the 73^rd minute Taylor surged in off the right and ran toward the box. Graham Wilson took over just outside the penalty are but was crowded out and the chance was lost.

Bo’ness now made a further change with Grant on for Hughes.

Talbot won umpteen free kicks and won another in the 76^th minute when Wardrope was fouled 30 yards from goal. Wardrope took it himself and sent a shot sailing over the wall that forced a good stop from Dibaga who dived to his left to turn it wide.

In the 81^st minute Bo’ness put together a good move down the right that saw Watt cut the ball back from the right into the path of Walker but his shot was deflected wide of target off one of his team mates.

Talbot then threatened down the other end when Wardrope swept over a great cross from the right that Graham Wilson met but he was stretching to reach in it and could only glance wide of target.

In the 83^rd minute Talbot had a great chance to take the lead. Taylor’s pass found Mason in space inside the area. He took a good 1^st touch but didn’t seem to realise how much time or space he had and pulled a right foot shot wide of the right post.

With 3 minutes to go Walker tumbled inside the Talbot box looking for a penalty but the referee waved away their appeals.

As the game moved into injury time Taylor whipped over a great ball from the right that looked to be heading for Boylan but McCormack did well to intercept and head it over his own bar and the Bo’ness defence managed to deal with the resulting corner.

Deep into injury time Talbot had a glorious chance to win it with what would have been the last kick of the ball. Mason’s pass sent Boylan free on the left. He burst through on goal but opted to take it early rather than carry on into the box and fired his shot wide of target.

It was now down to extra time though this was delayed by the bizarre spectacle of a rammy breaking out in the Bo’ness dug-out. The altercation went on for a few minutes, with Todd very fortunate not to be sent off before he even came on, but somehow the match officials all contrived to miss it.

When extra time did finally get under way it was the home side who made the early running. They had a great chance within a minute of added time when a cross from the right was met by McCormack in the centre but he sent his free header wide of goal.

Bo’ness now made a further change with Todd coming on to replace Locke.

Play was going from end to end with Wardrope firing a half-volley wide of the left post from distance and moments later Grant trying to thread a pass through to Walker inside the penalty box but it was a shade too hard and Leishman gathered.

In the 96^th minute Graham Wilson held the ball up well under pressure before releasing it to Taylor on the right and his ball across the face of goal only needed a touch but there were no takers.

Two minutes later Boylan had a half chance on the right of the penalty area but his shot lacked the power to test the keeper. The referee then booked Graham Wilson for an earlier incident out on the left which owed more to the reaction of the Bo’ness players and fans as the referee clearly hadn’t seen it.

In the 102^nd minute Taylor was cautioned for a late challenge as Bo’ness broke down the left.

In the final action of the 1^st period of added time Graham Wilson knocked the ball into the path of Boylan on the right of the box but he lost his footing and the chance was gone.

The 2^nd period saw both teams tiring with fewer attacks though Bo’ness had a good chance to snatch it in the 113^th minute when Stevenson gathered on the left in space and angled the ball back into the path of Grant who fired over the bar from 15 yards.

Talbot had to make an enforced change a minute later when Mason hobbled from the field to be replaced by Crawford.

The game ended with another flurry of yellow cards. Armstrong was cautioned for a shove on Hamilton and then Todd received a booking for dissent.

In the final seconds of the match Bo’ness conceded a corner down the left which the defence failed to clear. Two defensive headers went straight up into the air and the ball fell to Crawford on the right of the area who went down inside the box but was booked for simulation.

After 120 hard fought minutes it was now down to penalties to decide it.

First up it as Boylan for Talbot and he drilled the ball low inside the right hand post as Dibaga went the other way.

Grant was first up for Bo’ness and made no mistake as he blasted it high down the middle.

Next up for Talbot it was Graham Wilson and he replicated Boylan’s earlier effort – sending the keeper the wrong way.

It was now Walker’s turn for Bo’ness and Leishman went the right way – diving to his right to touch it onto the post and it was now advantage Talbot.

Gareth Armstrong made it 3-1 to Talbot with an almost identical penalty to the first two successful efforts.

Stevenson pulled one back for Bo’ness to make it 3-2 before Taylor rattled a confident penalty inside the left hand post to put Talbot 4-2 ahead.

It was now sudden death with Hamilton needing to score but he kept his cool – placing it inside the right post to make it 4-3.

Wardrope stepped up for Talbot and beat Dibaga with a well-placed pen inside the right post to send Talbot into the next round.

A good away win over Lowland League opposition and next up for Talbot it is back to Beechwood where they host high flying Darvel in the Scottish Junior cup.

Bo’ness United – Dibaga, Hawkins, Jacobs, McCormack, Locke, Genmel, Miller, Hughes, Smith, Stevenson, Walker

Subs – MacAuley, Grant, Hamilton, Heeps, Watt, Todd, Ward, Johnston, Sanchez (gk)

Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Stafford, Aiden Wilson, McPherson, McCracken, Armstrong, Park, Wardrope, Graham Wilson, Samson, Shankland

Subs – Mason, Boylan, Taylor, Crawford, White, Hewitt (gk)