TEN MAN TALBOT REACH THE LAST SIXTEEN.
Report: Murray Steele, Photography: Craig McGhee, Media: Lee Conn
Ten man Talbot booked their place in the 4th round draw of the Scottish Junior cup the hard way in a game which was low on quality but high on incident.
The first good chance of the afternoon went the way of the home side when Hay got in behind the defence down the left but was denied by Glavin at his near post.
Two minutes later the game was halted when Rennie breenged into Armstrong. Both players required attention before being able to continue with the Thistle player perhaps fortunate to escape a caution.
The home side were causing problems with their direct style and in the 15th minute Hay gathered a cross from the right and cut it back toward Mackie but it was intercepted and cleared.
In the 20th minute Smith fed the ball out wide left to find Boylan and he swept a dangerous cross over to the back post but there were no takers.
Armstrong became the 1st player in the book moments later when he was cautioned for a shirt tug on Burnett.
Talbot came close to the opener in the 26th minute. Glasgow showed quick feet to jink his was down the left of the box before cutting it across the face of goal where Smith just beat Salmon to it. He flicked it goal ward where it was cleared off the line but to the frustration of Talbot the ref then halted play for a knock to Thistle’s keeper.
The Bot’s next attack saw Thomson feed it in off the right to Armstrong whose deflected shot from 20 yards flew wide of the right post.
It was advantage to the home side in the 32nd minute when they took the lead. Talbot conceded a corner on the left and when it was delivered into the centre Muirhead headed home from close range.
Three minutes later Forsyth had his name taken for scything Wardrope down from behind as he broke forward. Talbot played the free kick down the right where McPherson forced a corner. The corner was taken short to Smith who cut in along the byeline and steered a good cross toward the back post that was well defended.
It was all square in the 38th minute. A defender tried a risky header back to his own keeper that was never on and BRYAN BOYLAN pounced on the mistake – taking it round the stranded keeper before rolling it into the empty net to make it 1-1.
The goal energised Talbot and their next attack saw Boylan sent crashing by Gauld who was lucky not to be booked into the bargain. Wardrope took the free kick out wide left and delivered it into the centre where the defence eventually managed to scramble it clear.
In the 41st minute Thomson won a corner down the right that Wardrope angled back to find Smith 16 yards out but his shot slid past the left hand post.
Talbot ended the half on the ascendancy and a minute before the break Smith cut in off the right and fired a low drive on target that Salmon held at his left post.
Napier then picked up a yellow card for a late challenge on McPherson. Before the free kick could be taken the home side made a change with Joji on in place of Muirhead.
Deep into added time Wardrope found the target with a decent hit from 20 yards but it flew straight at the keeper and the sides went in level at the break.
Talbot made a change during the break with Wilson on at left-back in place of the injured Gillies.
The Bot nearly made the ideal start to the 2nd half when a shy from the right found its way into Smith and he let fly from 20 yards only to see his shot tipped over the bar.
In the 52nd minute Glasgow dribbled his way past a couple of challenges inside the box before feeding it back to Thomson whose low drive from the edge of the area was blocked by Salmon.
Shortly after McPherson went down for the 1st time after picking up a shoulder knock but continued after treatment.
Talbot’s positive start to the half was undone in the 56th minute thanks to a highly dubious call by the referee. A quick ball over the top saw Slooves clash with Joji just outside the penalty area. The Thistle player appeared to go down easily and there were defenders back but to the astonishment of Slooves and his team mates, the referee produced a straight red and Talbot were left to continue for over half an hour a man down.
Napier took the resultant free kick and fired it low at Glavin who held it safely.
58 minutes gone and Talbot found themselves facing a penalty. Joji chased a ball over the top and the referee judged that Thomson caught him as he was crossing it into the centre and pointed to the spot. Joji took it himself but to the joy of the large travelling support he drilled it wide of Glavin’s left post.
Tucker now made a change with Boyle on for Smith and in the 64th minute Talbot were forced into a further change when McPherson was unable to continue with Schoneville on and Wilson moving into the centre.
With 20 mins remaining Glasgow received a yellow card for dissent after querying another debatable call from the referee who had awarded a foul against Boylan for reasons unknown.
Joji then found himself in the book for a late challenge on the touchline.
With quarter of an hour remaining Talbot won a free kick 30 yards out following a foul on Boylan. Wardrope found the target but his shot didn’t trouble the keeper.
Down the other end Joji won the home side a free kick wide on the left after falling over theatrically. When the free kick was swung into the centre, Armstrong headed it clear.
Talbot were tiring and the home side had a half chance in the 82nd minute when they broke down the right but the final shot was pulled across goal and well-wide of the far post.
With two minutes remaining Talbot made a late change with Boyd on for Thomson and Talbot saw out time to take the game to penalties.
WARDROPE was first up for Talbot and he made no mistake to put Talbot 1-0 up.
Napier went first for Thistle and Glavin dived low to his right to make the stop.
Next up for Talbot was Boylan who went for power but his shot was too central and comfortably saved by Salmon.
Gauld then levelled for the home side.
JAMIE GLASGOW then restored Talbot’s advantage as he coolly sent the keeper the wrong way.
Mackie took Thistle’s 3rd penalty and Glavin rose to the occasion – diving full length to his left to turn it wide.
SCOTT SCHONEVILLE took full advantage as he slotted it low inside the right post to put Talbot 3-1 ahead.
Burnett had to score to keep Thistle in the cup and gave Glavin no chance to make it 3-2.
CONNOR BOYD stepped up for Talbot’s 5th and sent the keeper the wrong way to make it 4-2 to the Bot and spark celebrations out on the pitch and in the stand.
Whilst nowhere near their best, Talbot managed to dig out the result and keep the winning run going. Next up it’s back to league duty when Talbot make the short journey over the hill to face Cumnock at Townhead.
Bridge of Don Thistle – Salmon, Napier, Bowden, Gauld, Murphy, Forsyth, Rennie, Hay, Burnett, Muirhead, Mackie
Subs – Robertshaw, Mitchell, Baird, Deans, Finlay, Holt, Joji
Auchinleck Talbot – Glavin, McCracken, Gillies, Slooves, McPherson, Armstrong, Thomson, Wardrope, Glasgow, Boylan, Smith
Subs – Boyd, Boyle, Urquhart, Lennox, Schoneville, Wilson, Kennedy
