Competition: SCOTTISH JUNIOR CUP
Carluke Rovers v Auchinleck Talbot
PHOTOGRAPHS BY PAUL FLYNN.
Talbot booked their place in the 3rd round draw of the Scottish Junior cup thanks to a 2-1 away win over Carluke; the final score being a lot tighter than many would have anticipated and an inaccurate reflection of a game Talbot could & should have won a lot more comfortably.
The first of Talbot’s many efforts at goal came in the 6th minute when Shankland played Hyslop in down the left & he angled a shot across goal and over the crossbar.
The home side tested Talbot’s defence in the 8th minute when they won a corner down the right. Dailly hit an in swinger into the centre that Armstrong headed to safety.
Two minutes later Talbot had Carluke’s defence at full stretch when Shankland sent Hyslop free down the right. He swept a good cross over to the back post which Kane had to put behind. When Shankland’s corner came over toward the back post Brown was at full stretch to tip it away.
The Bot came close to opening the scoring in the 18th minute. A flurry of quick passes ended with Glasgow racing clear of the defence to race through on the keeper but his shot clipped the base of the right hand post and spun out for a goal kick.
The opener came in the 23rd minute when Glasgow did well to turn Neossi out on the left before swinging over a cross that KEIR SAMSON nodded inside Brown’s right post to put Talbot 1-0 ahead.
Within a minute Talbot nearly added a second. Samson’s cross from the right was put behind for a corner which Shankland delivered deep beyond the far post where Samson guided a header back across goal that was cleared off the line.
Samson was involved again in the 27th minute. He met McPherson’s flighted pass & nodded it down into the path of Glasgow who returned the ball back to Samson who’d continued his run. He got free down the right of the penalty area & lobbed a shot over the bar.
A 2nd goal would have killed the game and Talbot were unfortunate not to double their lead in the 29th minute. Stafford swung over a good cross from the right which Healy ran onto & glanced a header for goal that cannoned off the right post with the keeper well beaten before a defender put it behind for the corner. When Shankland’s corner came in Brown got a hand to it but could only clear it out as far as Glasgow whose low shot from 16 yards was deflected wide by the keeper’s outstretched left leg.
Talbot had another half chance in the 31st minute when Wilson was blocked just wide of the penalty area resulting in a free kick. Shankland took it & went for goal but fired it into the side-netting.
The game should have been out of sight & Talbot were made to pay for their missed chances in the 34th minute when Carluke equalised out of the blue. The home side were awarded a free kick out on the left that Dailly crossed into the centre. It was cleared but fell into the path of SMALL 22 yards out & he hammered an unstoppable shot to Leishman’s left to draw Carluke level.
The goal knocked Talbot out their rhythm for a spell but they recovered and had a great chance to regain the lead in the 42nd minute. Samson raced clear on the right & played a great ball into the near post where Glasgow looked set to score but Kane did well to deflect his side-footed shot just wide of the left post.
In the closing seconds of the half Armstrong picked up a caution for a mistimed challenge on Neill.
The 2nd half soon settled into a pattern of attack v defence with Carluke intent on holding out for penalties.
Talbot’s first effort of the 2nd half came in the 52nd minute when Armstrong set up Shankland at the edge of the area and his shot was parried away by the keeper.
In the 56th minute Wilson swung over a good cross for Hyslop to attack but he got his angles wrong and glanced his header wide of target.
Carluke’s goal was leading a charmed life and the travelling support were beginning to wonder if it was not going to be Talbot’s day when the Bot again struck the woodwork on the hour mark. Glasgow’s low drive had the keeper beaten but it clattered the left post and the score remained tied.
Brown had made a good step earlier with his leg to deny Glasgow and he did the same again to Shankland in the 62nd minute; stretching out his right leg to deflect away his low drive from 20 yards.
Two minutes later Talbot won a free kick in a good area after Douglas Frame clipped Shankland just outside the area with Carluke’s centre-half booked for the challenge. Shankland took it himself but got too much on it & it didn’t dip quickly enough.
Carluke were clinging on by hook or by crook and in the 68th minute Murphy received a yellow card for time-wasting.
In the 70th minute Talbot won a corner down the left when Wilson’s cross was blocked by Small. Shankland delivered it to the far post where Samson just failed to get on the end of it.
Finally, Talbot’s pressure paid off in the 74th minute. Samson’s long shy from the right was only partially cleared by the defence & it fell to AIDEN WILSON 20 yards out whose half volley skipped off the surface & flew past Brown to put Talbot 2-1 ahead.
Both sides now made changes with McDowall on for Hylsop for Talbot and the home side bringing on Jamieson & Lawlor for Murphy & Neill.
With 11 minutes remaining Talbot made their 2nd change of the afternoon with Graham Wilson replacing Samson up top.
Graham Wilson had the ball in the back of the net in the 83rd minute but the goal didn’t stand for some unfathomable reason. Wilson met Healy’s cross from the right & steered a header onto Brown’s right post & reacted quickest to fire the rebound home. However, the assistant’s flag went up and after a consultation with the ref the goal was chalked off.
For all Talbot’s dominance a single goal lead is precarious and Talbot’s support had a nervy moment in the 84th minute when White knocked the ball to Leishman who took his eye off it and let it run away from him before McPherson managed to clear.
In the closing stages Talbot made a final change with Robbie McCracken coming on for Shankland and Talbot able to see the game out to claim the victory.
Next up for Talbot it is another away day but this time back to league duty as they travel through to Petershill park on Wednesday night to face Rossvale.
Carluke Rovers – Brown, Kane, Murphy, Douglas Frame, Neossi, Goodall, Small, Steven Frame, Smith, Neill, Dailly
Subs – Wilson, O’Reilly, Jamieson, Lawlor, Jessimer
Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Stafford, Aiden Wilson, McPherson, White, Armstrong, Healy, Hyslop, Glasgow, Shankland, Samson
Subs – Lyle, Graham Wilson, McDowall, Boylan, Robbie McCracken, Hewitt (gk)
Chris Stafford
SPONSORED: Colin Mitchell, Ashley Gardiner (Event Vocally)
BIO: Chris was on loan from Greenock Morton FC until the end of the 2022 season, and then joined the club at the start of the 2022/23 campaign. He started his career at Celtic Community Academy and Johnstone Boys Club before moving to Morton in 2013. He moved to the Morton reserves in 2019 where he had loan spells at Johnstone Burgh and Cumnock.
Auchinleck Talbot v Montrose Roselea
PHOTOGRAPHS BY PAUL FLYNN.
MURRAY’S MATCH REPORT
Talbot cruised into the next round of the Scottish Junior cup after a comfortable win over their North region opponents.
Montrose Roselea were forced into making an early change when Watson limped off after only 8 minutes to be replaced up front by Alberts.
The opening goal came in the 13th minute. Robbie McCracken played a good ball up the right to find Samson & he squared it across the penalty area. Mason touched it back into the path of DWAYNE HYSLOP who hammered a shot inside the right post from 15 yards.
Three minutes later Talbot very nearly doubled their lead. Healy chipped the ball forward to Mason who let fly from outside the area & his shot rattled back out off the left post with the keeper well beaten.
Talbot were knocking it about well, looking to stretch their opponents, who were content to sit deep.
The home support thought Talbot had added their 2nd in the 23rd minute. Glasgow’s cross from the right was headed behind for a corner and when Mason’s corner came over Robbie McCracken dived to meet it beyond the far post to bullet a header home but the assistant flagged that the corner had swerved out then back in.
Mason then tried his luck from distance – trying to place it from 25 yards with McCormack making a comfortable save.
Talbot’s 2nd goal arrived in the 31st minute. Craig McCracken pinged an accurate diagonal ball over the defence to find Glasgow haring down the right. He slid it into the near post where KIER SAMSON touched it home from close range.
Montrose’s defence was being stretched constantly & Davidson did well in the 36th minute to prevent Samson getting his shot away; sliding in to put it behind for a corner.
The next effort at goal came from Glasgow when Craig McCracken’s pass found him on the left & he fired wide of the right post from 25 yards.
Three minutes before the interval Samson found Robbie McCracken on the overlap & Stephen turned his ball across goal behind for the corner. Mason whipped the corner over where Hyslop met it in front of goal but he glanced it wide of the far post.
A minute from half time Talbot added their 3rd goal. Samson raced free down the left and burst into the area before cutting it back to DWAYNE HYSLOP who planted it into the bottom corner.
With the tie effectively over Talbot dropped down a gear in the 2nd half but still made & missed quite a few chances. The first of which came in the 48th minute when a shy from the left was gathered by Samson who raced into the area & hammered a shot just over the crossbar from a tight angle.
Talbot’s next goal threat came in the 58th minute. Glasgow’s cross from the right found Healy at the back post and his diving header back across goal was well saved by McCormack.
Tucker now made a double switch with Hyslop and Samson making way for McDowall and Shankland.
Roselea were caught out by a short corner down the left when Mason pulled it back to Shankland on the left edge of the area and he fired it just wide of the right hand post.
Wilson had a great chance to get his name on the score sheet in the 67th minute. Robbie McCracken’s cross found him in space at the back post but he steered his header across goal & wide of the left post.
McPherson had his name taken in the 71st minute for a foul on Garnham just outside the area. Alberts took it but never troubled the goal – sending it comfortably wide of the right post.
McDowall picked up a knock and the sub was substituted with Hastings making the step up from Talbot’s development squad to make his debut.
With quarter of an hour remaining Talbot had another good chance to add to their lead. Robbie McCracken arrowed in a good cross that Healy ran onto but he bulleted his header over the bar.
Two minutes later Mason hit the woodwork for the 2nd time when he cut in off the left & drilled a shot that clattered off the base of McCormack’s right hand post.
Mason had another opportunity moments later when he ran onto Boyd’s ball over the defence. He checked inside and fired for goal but his shot went straight at the keeper.
The procession of chances continued for Talbot and Shankland spurned a good chance in the 84th minute when he met Mason’s cut back 6 yards out but side-footed it straight at McCormack.
Hastings then had a go at goal from 20 yards – pulling his shot wide of the left post.
Roselea grabbed a late consolation in the 88th minute. Beedie gathered outside the area & threaded the ball through to ALBERTS who fired past Leishman.
Talbot ended the game back on the front foot forcing a series of corners but couldn’t add to their tally and the game finished 3-1.
Next up Talbot are back in league action at Beechwood where they host Cumbernauld United next Saturday.
Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Robbie McCracken, Wilson, McPherson, Craig McCracken, Healy, Boyd, Hyslop, Samson, Glasgow, Mason
Subs – Shankland, McDowall, Hastings, Watt, White, Hewitt
Montrose Roselea – McCormack, Davidson, Taylor, Reoch, Stephen, Thomson, Greig, Garnham, Watson, Beedie, Soutar
Subs – Rae, Bailey, Jamiesion, Alberts, Gill, Tweed
Own Goal
Tarek Abed
SPONSORED BY: Loons Supporters Club
JOINED TALBOT: August 2023
D.O.B: 19/04/2002
TALBOT DEBUT: 19/08/2023 v Clydebank WOSL Premier Division. Lost 1-0
FIRST TALBOT GOAL: v Wigtown & Bladnoch, Scottish Cup Preliminary Round 2, 02/09/2023, won 12-0.
FORMER TEAMS: Kilmarnock, Forfar, Gretna 2008
Aaron Mason
SPONSORED:
DOB:
SIGNED: July 202
BIO: Aaron joined Talbot at the start of the 2021/22 season from Kilmarnock amateur side Shortlees where he was gathering rave reviews. It was a no-brainer for the teeager to join as his father Billy Mason was a former Talbot captain during the 80’s. His workrate during every match he is involved in is relentless and with his turn of speed and footballing skills he can give an opposition defence a torrid tim
Willie Boyd
SPONSORED BY: James Latta Plumbing
JOINED TALBOT: July 2014, July 2021.
DOB: 04/10/1994
TALBOT DEBUT: Lugar Boswell (Home), 9th August 2014, Ardagh League Cup 7-0
FIRST COMPETITIVE GOAL: Glenafton Athletic, 9th May 2016, WJFA Premier Division 2-0
FORMER CLUBS: Queens Park U20’s, Greenock U20’s, Largs Thistle, Auchinleck Talbot, Dalry Thistle, Lostock St Gerards FC.
