Competition: SOUTH REGION CHALLENGE CUP

LATE SHOW SINKS CUMBERNAULD

Report: Murray Steele, Photography: Craig McGhee, Media: Ross Newlands.

Talbot made it to the last 16 of the South Challenge cup but did it the hard way seeing off Cumbernauld with a late goal.

The opening spell was high on commitment but low on quality with neither side able to retain possession or threaten in the final third.

The first clear chance came Talbot’s way in the 10^th minute. Gillies fizzed a low ball in off the left which Law pushed out into the path of Abed. He tried to place it back across goal but his shot was blocked by a defender.

A minute later Boyd’s low drive from the left of the area forced a decent stop out of Law who turned it round his right post.

The visitors had rarely visited Talbot’s half but came within a whisker of taking the lead with quarter of an hour gone. Kearney let fly from 30 yards out and Armour did well to get across and tip it onto the crossbar and behind for the corner kick. Once again Talbot were troubled by corners – the first one in off the left wasn’t cleared initially and ended up being knocked behind following a scramble in the 6 yard area. When the 2^nd corner came over beyond the back post it fell to Brodie who volleyed it over the bar.

Talbot came close to the opener in the 20^th minute. Gillies cut the ball back from the left bye line to find Nimmo in the heart of the area and his shot slipped just wide of the left hand post.

In the 24^th minute Nimmo won Talbot a corner down the left. Wardrope caught the defence napping when he passed it in short to find Abed whose curling right foot effort came off the left post and came at Boyd who headed the rebound over.

The game again then became a midfield slog with neither side offering any threat. The next meaningful attack came in the 34^th minute when Brodie whipped in a dangerous cross from the right. Slooves headed it clear but it came out to a Nauld player and a bout of headie tennis ensued before it was finally cleared.

The Bot had a good chance to take the lead in their next attack. Boyd met a ball up the centre and flicked it on into the path of Abed who burst through on the keeper but Law did well to block his shot low to his left and the rebound cannoned back off Abed and behind for the goal kick.

In the 39^th minute Boyd came close when he gathered outside the area and fired just over the bar.

Three minutes from half-time Talbot nearly gifted the visitors an opening out of nothing. There appeared no danger when the ball was pinged up the left for Cunningham to chase. Armour seemed in control of it but tried to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick allowing Cunningham to keep it in. Fortunately McPherson got back to make the challenge to halt Cunningham’s progress and the ball broke through to Armour.

In the final action of the half Nimmo met a ball up the right and cushioned a header inside to find Boyd in the penalty area but the keeper had read the danger and was quickly off his line to smother at Boyd’s feet and the half ended goal less.

Talbot made a change at the start of the 2^nd half with Langan coming on for Nimmo.

The half got off to a rocky start for Talbot when they were almost caught out within a minute. A ball in behind the defence just eluded Cunningham who couldn’t get a touch on it as it ran through to Armour.

In the 50^th minute Wardrope fed the ball out wide to McPherson whose cross into the near post was met by Boyd who saw his effort deflected wide of the left hand post.

Two minutes later Wilson’s ball up the left came off the top of Whitmore’s head to Boyd on the left of the area. He swung over a good cross which was well cleared by Watt who headed it away in the centre at full stretch.

A good passage of possession in the 58^th minute ended with Talbot winning a corner down the right through Abed. When Wardrope swept it over to the far post McPherson looked certain to score but steered a free header over the bar from 5 yards.

In the 61^st minute the visitors made a change with Hughes replacing Cunningham.

Two minutes later Lafferty had his name taken for a shove on Clark resulting in a Bot free kick 22 yards out. Gillies tapped it square for Wardrope to hit but his shot was charged down.

With 66 mins gone the visitors made a further change with Bowie on for Lafferty.

The first goal looked like it might be the only goal and the visitors nearly nabbed it in the 69^th minute. An accurate diagonal ball found Kearney racing into space down the left and he hit it early with his shot clipping the outside of the right post and behind for the goal kick.

Talbot now made a triple change with McAvoy, Thomson & Schoneville coming on for Abed, Kerr & Wardrope.

In the 71^st minute Gillies whipped in a great cross off the left but there were no takers in the middle and Cumbernauld broke quickly to the other end where Hughes cut in off the left but shot tamely straight at Armour.

The Bot’s next attack saw Schoneville fire a low ball into the area that broke to Sime on the left of the penalty area but he snatched at his shot and pulled it well wide.

With quarter of an hour remaining Talbot passed up a good chance to take the lead. The ball was played in off the left to find McAvoy who managed to tie up his marker with the ball running through to Sime in a good area. He only had the keeper to beat but his low drive went straight at Law.

In the 81^st minute Talbot squandered another clear chance and the Bot fans were beginning to think it just wasn’t going to go in. Thomson won a corner down the right and when he swept the corner over Slooves met it inside the front post where he glanced a header across goal and wide of the right post.

Cumbernauld now made another change with McClair replacing Mackie.

In the 87^th minute Hogg took one for the team when he received a caution for hauling back McAvoy as he threatened to burst forward.

Just when it looked like the game was heading for extra time Talbot grabbed a late winner. Schoneville did well to wriggle free down the left and pulled it back to find CONNOR BOYD who steered a shot high inside the left post to put Talbot 1-0 ahead.

There was still time for a late scare in added time. The impressive Kearney tried his luck with a first time volley from out wide on the left that forced Armour to turn it round the post. The visitors could make nothing of the corner and Talbot had the last attack of the afternoon deep into added time when McAvoy raced down the right and angled a ball across the face of goal which was just out of Boyd’s reach.

Another afternoon where Talbot failed to put away decent chances but a welcome win after a couple of draws on the bounce. Next up for Talbot it’s an away day at Yoker to face in form Clydebank in the league.

Auchinleck Talbot – Armour, McPherson, Kerr, Slooves, Wilson, Wardrope, Sime, Gillies, Boyd, Nimmo, Abed

Subs – McAvoy, Thomson, Walker, Langan, Boyle, Schoneville, Clark

Cumbernauld United – Law, Whitmore, McLachlan, Watt, Stobie, Hogg, Brodie, Lafferty, Cunningham, Mackie, Kearney

Subs – Hughes, Burns, McClair, Bowie, Brennan, Smith (gk)

JEANFIELD SWIFTLY DESPATCHED BY IN FORM TALBOT

Report: Murray Steele. Photographs: Craig McGhee, Media Lee Conn.

The Bot started strongly, winning a corner in the 3rd minute after Nimmo’s shot at goal was blocked and then ricocheted behind off a Swifts defender.

The Bot had another header on target in the 20th minute. Wardrope’s corner from the right was cleared straight back out to him and his 2nd cross went over to the far post where McPherson headed it down on target where it was held by Swinton

Five minutes before the interval Swifts had a let off. Nimmo drilled a dangerous low ball across from the right of the area that hit off Yates and nearly went in for an own goal but flew just off target. When the corner came over McPherson won it at the back post but his header was safely gathered by the keeper.

In the 54th minute Nimmo was unlucky not to grab Talbot’s 3rd. His shot from 18 yards came off the right hand post and hit the keeper who knew little about it as it flew behind for the corner. When the corner came over Swinton punched it clear under pressure. McPherson gathered on the right of the box and drilled it low across where it was blocked by a defender. It came out to Langan who teed it up for Boyle but he scooped his shot well over from the edge of the area.

Two mins later Talbot broke out of defence with Thomson releasing McAvoy who burst through the centre before firing a shot wide of the left post.

In the closing minute of the match Abed came on for McPherson but had no time to make any impact before the ref’s whistle saved the players from enduring any more of the rain.

TALBOT TRIUMPH IN DOUR ENCOUNTER.

Report: Murray Steele. Photographs: Craig McGhee, Media Lee Conn.

A much changed Talbot got the job done to advance past Lothian Thistle in the South Challenge cup in a tie the Bot could have won by a much more convincing margin.

Talbot started the game strongly and nearly took the lead after 4 minutes. A short corner down the left was worked to the edge of the area where Walker curled a shot just wide of the left hand post.

A minute later Smith surged forward before feeding it to his right to McAvoy who saw his shot blocked behind for a corner.

The pressure continued and Miller came close to putting it into his own net when he went to clear Abed’s ball across goal and sliced it over the crossbar. From the resultant corner Langan played it into the path of Smith who drilled a low shot wide of the left post.

In the 9^th minute Miller clipped a ball over the top and McAvoy managed to out-muscle Chisholm to claim it and pull it back toward Sime who had the ball nicked off him as he went to hit it.

The visitors hadn’t been over the half-way line up until the 13^th minute when Sime dallied on the ball and lost possession 30 yards out. It broke into the path of Ndlovu who bent a shot over the bar from 20 yards.

On the quarter hour mark Walker cut a ball back from the left to find Abed on the edge of the area who prodded a shot wide of target.

Talbot were denied what looked a stonewall penalty in the 19^th minute. Slooves was given the time & space to carry it forward and had a dig from 30 yards that Miller blocked with his arm but the officials gave nothing.

However, a minute later Talbot’s pressure finally paid off. Langan won it and raced forward into the box. He might have shot himself but instead slipped it to his right where KYLE MCAVOY hit it low across the keeper to make it 1-0.

In the 23^rd minute Talbot nearly doubled their lead. Kerr laid the ball back to Walker inside the box and his shot flew just past the left post.

The Bot’s next effort at goal came in the 27^th minute. Walker played it to Langan who found Smith bursting free down the right and he tried to angle it back across and beyond the keeper but Samuel smothered his effort.

The visitors won a free kick out wide on the left in the 31^st minute after Chisholm was caught. Ndlovu took it and curled it over to the back post where Slooves headed behind. When the corner came over Miller thumped it clear.

Cameron didn’t have much to do all afternoon but was called upon in the 34^th minute. A long ball down the centre was only partially cleared and fell to Wringe 20 yards out. He fired it first time on target and Cameron made a good stop to his right to turn it away for a corner.

This was the visitors best spell and they had another half chance soon after when Macdonald was able to turn in the box and play it back to Stewart who hit a tame effort on target.

Five minutes before the break Talbot put together a nice move that ended with Miller swinging a dangerous cross beyond the back post. Sime couldn’t quite get on the end of it and required treatment after colliding with the wall behind the goal.

In the final action of the half Smith shot wide of goal from 20 yards and the sides went in with Talbot leading 1-0.

Talbot got off to a bit of a false start to the 2^nd half conceding a few corners and free kicks without any harm being done.

In the 51^st minute Kerr whipped over a great cross from the left that Miller headed just wide of his own goal. When the corner came in from the right Slooves met it only to see his header brilliantly saved by Samuel who turned it over the bar.

The Bot’s next attack saw Kerr fire a ball across the box toward McAvoy but it broke off him and went behind for the goal kick.

Talbot then conceded a needless corner down the left which Ndlovu took and his in swinger had to be palmed away to safety by Cameron.

A 2^nd goal would have eased any worries and Talbot came close to it in the 57^th minute. A free kick down the left was met by McAvoy who headed it down into the path of Smith whose low drive was blocked by Samuel’s legs at his right hand post.

Two minutes later McAvoy won a corner down the left. Langan’s ball in wasn’t dealt with and it broke back out to Langan on the left of the area. He struck it on target but Samuel again did well to make the stop.

Lothian Thistle now made a change with Devine on for Signorini.

In the 62^nd minute Sime cushioned a header inside to find McAvoy on the right of the penalty area but his low drive went straight at the keeper.

A minute later Walker swung over a good cross from the left that Sime met in the centre – sending his header wide of the right hand post.

Talbot’s next effort came when Miller got on the end of Sime’s deep cross and floated a header back across goal that drifted over the bar.

The visitors now made a further change with Mackay on for Herd.

In the 69^th minute Talbot made a triple change with Langan, Walker & Smith making way for Boyle, Gillies & Boyd.

Shortly after Abed whipped over a great ball that only needed a touch but there was no one in the centre to convert. It was retrieved out on the left by Gillies who swung over a good cross that was well defended.

In the 74^th minute Boyle tried his luck from distance but his shot slipped wide of the right hand post.

With quarter of an hour remaining Miller of the visitors picked up a caution for kicking the ball away.

Ten minutes from time McAvoy’s cut back from the right cannoned off a defender and flew just wide of the left post. Before the corner could be taken Talbot made further changes with Wardrope & Clark on in place of Sime & Smith.

The corner was pulled back to Clark who whipped over a great ball that Chisholm headed clear from the goal mouth.

In the 84^th minute Wardrope broke down the left and sent a cross over to the far side of the box where McAvoy headed it back down and across goal but no one was there to take advantage.

Three minutes from time Kerr found Clark on the right of the penalty area. He cut inside onto his left foot and drilled a low shot on goal that produced another fine save from Samuel who turned it past the post.

A minute later Boyle played it into the feet of Clark inside the box and he teed it back into the path of Boyle whose shot went just past the left post.

In the final minute of regulation time a ball in from the left found McAvoy in the area. He turned on it and powered a shot narrowly past the left hand post.

Deep into injury time Talbot had a late scare when they conceded a free kick out on the right on the bye line for which Gillies received a caution but the visitors could make nothing of it and Talbot saw it out for the win.

Next up for Talbot it’s back to league duty when they travel through to North Glasgow to face Drumchapel United.

Auchinleck Talbot – Cameron, Miller, Kerr, Slooves, Wilson, Langan, Sime, Walker, McAvoy, Smith, Abed

Subs – Boyd, Wardrope, Gillies, Boyle, Clark, McPherson, Armour

Lothian Thistle H.V – Samuel, Herd, Macdonald, Maxwell, Wringe, Stewart, Chisholm, Signorini, Walton, Ndlovu, Miller

Subs – Clapperton, Harrison, Mackay, Morrison, Jelen, Devine, Davidson