Season: 2015/16

Talbot were left to rue a late collapse which saw what looked like a comfortable home win end in a 2-2 draw as the Bot threw away a two goal lead.
In a 1st half of few clear chances it was the visitors who made the brighter start. Carroll had an opportunity to put Arthurlie ahead in the 2nd minute when he met Gribben’s ball in from the right but from only 6 yards out he failed to generate any power & Leishman made a comfortable save at his left post.

A defensive mix-up nearly gifted Arthurlie the lead in the 10th minute. There seemed no danger when a cross from the right came into the area but Lyle ducked under it to leave it to Leishman who was never getting there. The ball sped across to the left of the area where Carroll gathered it & hammered a shot on target that Leishman turned round the right post.

Talbot’s 1st effort on target came in the 11th minute. Young intercepted a slack clearance & played it into the area to find Wilson. He got the ball stuck under his feet & although he managed to prod it on target it lacked power & White made an easy save.
There was little to choose between the sides & little goal mouth action with neither keeper involved.

Gradually Talbot began to settle into the game & play some football, with the game increasingly being played in the Arthurlie half. Talbot put together a good move in the 28th minute. Boyd found Young on the left & he hit a great diagonal ball in behind to find Milliken down the right. He cut it back into the path of Lyle inside the box but he failed to test the keeper with a weak shot.
In the 35th minute Hyslop fed a good ball down the line toward Young who forced a corner off McGregor. Young whipped the corner over to the far corner of the 6-yard box where McGoldrick’s header clipped the top of the bar.

Talbot won a free kick in a promising area in the 39th minute when Gair wrestled Milliken to the ground 30 yards from goal. Pope took it but scooped his shot well over the bar and the half petered to an end without any further chances.
Talbot started the 2nd half in fine fettle and had an opportunity within the opening minute. Hyslop was sent sprawling out on the right but the ref awarded the advantage to allow Milliken to fire a low ball into the centre where Wilson volleyed over the bar.

Tucker was forced into a change in the 51st minute when McCracken limped off with a hip injury. S Wilson came on & White dropped into central defence.
It was now all Talbot & the opening goal came in the 55th minute. McGoldrick charged out from the back & carried it into the down the left before releasing an accurate pass inside to find G Wilson. He flicked it 1st time into the path of MILLIKEN who strolled through & placed a low drive past White to put Talbot 1-0 ahead.

It should have been 2-0 in the 59th minute. Steven Wilson raced through the centre of the defence & unselfishly passed it left to Graham Wilson who blazed his shot over the bar from 12 yards.
Arthurlie won a free kick out on the right in the 61st minute which Gribben delivered to the far post. The Bot defence managed to head it clear & Young then launched a counter-attack with a great pass to release Milliken down the left. He raced down the wing & whipped a cross to the back post where GRAHAM WILSON met it with a diving header to put Talbot 2-0 ahead.

Young had a half chance to extend Talbot’s lead in the 64th minute when the ball broke to him outside the area. He had space 20 yards out but curled his shot well off target.
Arthurlie hadn’t offered anything so far in the 2nd half but Pope made a crucial interception in the 65th min to block Mackie’s pass which was heading straight for McGregor.
Lyle picked up what looked to be a very harsh yellow card in the 67th minute. He slid in & took the ball but the referee judged it a foul & booked him.

The visitors made a double substitution in the 68th minute with Mackie & Devlin making way for McTernan & Young.
Arthurlie made a further change in the 72nd minute when Tart replaced Gair.
Palmer almost fluked a goal back for Arthurlie in the 73rd minute. The left-back swung a cross over which clipped the top of the bar before going behind for the goal kick.
Talbot now made their 2nd change with Shankland on in place of Graham Wilson.

With quarter of an hour remaining Talbot put together a decent move. Milliken made the bye line & cut it back into the area. The defence only cleared it as far as S Wilson & he played it left to find Shankland whose low drive was well saved by White to his left.
Two minutes later Shankland again tested the Lie keeper. He powered a good shot on target from 20 yards but White was well positioned to take it inside his left post.

Tucker made his final change in the 78th minute with Love coming on for Milliken.
Talbot came close to killing the game off in the 84th minute. Leishman hoisted a long ball down the centre that the defence failed to deal with. It was headed out but came straight to Young 20 yards out & he lashed a shot just over the crossbar.

Arthurlie hadn’t looked remotely dangerous but it was game on again as they went straight down the other end & pulled a goal back. The Bot defence were caught sleeping as Gribben gathered on the left & slipped a ball inside to send MCGREGOR clean through on goal & he steered a low shot past Leishman.

Nimmo was penalised in the 85th minute when he picked up a caution for persistent fouling.
Talbot’s defence hadn’t covered themselves in glory at the 1st goal and poor defending played its part in Arthurlie’s equaliser in the 86th minute. Nimmo dribbled into the box & with the defence backing off he kept going. He eventually ran into a wall of defenders but the ball broke left to YOUNG & the sub drilled a low shot that for the bottom corner that Leishman did well to get a hand to but couldn’t keep out.
Carroll picked up a caution for a late tackle on Steven Wilson as Talbot went pushing for a late winner but time was against them and Arthurlie ran the clock down to see the game out.
This was a sore one for Talbot who were well in control, only to lose the plot in the final 5 minutes.
Next for Talbot is a home tie against Dalry on Tuesday night in the Ayrshire cup where Talbot will be looking to get back to winning ways.

Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, McGoldrick, McCracken, White, Young, Hyslop, G Wilson, Milliken, Boyd

Subs – Shankland, S Wilson, Love, Gillies, Johnstone

Arthurlie – White, McGlinchey, Palmer, Rushford, Gair, Nimmo, McGregor, Devlin, Mackie, Gribben, Carroll

Subs – McTernan, Blakey, Tart, Young, Nugent

Talbot produced one of their best performances of the season to leapfrog Rob Roy in the table and keep pace with leaders Pollok.
The Bot might have taken the lead as early as the 5th minute. Pope delivered a good ball in behind the defence to find S Wilson but the ball came to him at an awkward height & he knocked his shot well past the post.
Two minutes later, Leishman came to Talbot’s rescue. McKenzie’s long diagonal ball sailed over Pope to pick out Sawyer just inside the box. He rolled the ball back across to Aitken whose low drive was heading inside the left post until stopped by Leishman’s legs.
In the 17th minute Milliken slid a great pass through to S Wilson on the right of the penalty area. He took a touch before firing for goal & McGuire got across to block it behind for the corner. Young whipped the corner straight along the 6-yard line where HYSLOP ran onto it to power a header beyond Brown.
McGuire became the 1st player booked when shown a yellow card for a late challenge after 19 mins.
Talbot were looking threatening and came close to adding to their lead in the 23rd minute. Milliken gathered a ball down the right & laid it back to Wilson. He whipped over a 1st time cross toward Hyslop which he just failed to connect with in the centre.
Boyd paid the price for a fractionally mistimed challenge when he was booked for a 50/50 tackle out on the stand side touchline.
McGoldrick launched Talbot’s next attack with a perfectly weighted ball down the right to send Milliken scampering clear. He fired a dangerous ball across goal but there was no one in the centre to take advantage.

Steven Wilson looked like he would have to come off injured after 38 mins when he was caught late by McMenamin. The ex-Nock player was cautioned for the challenge but after a bout of treatment he was able to continue.
As the half drew to a close Talbot twice came close to extending their lead. Shankland’s pass sent Milliken racing free down the left & he forced a fine stop from Brown who turned his powerful drive past the post for a corner. McGoldrick met Young’s corner just inside the front post and his flick was heading into the net until Carter cleared it off the line, and the half finished with Talbot 1-0 ahead.
Talbot raced out the traps at the start of the 2nd half and carved out a couple of chances within the opening minutes.

Firstly, Hyslop sped down the left & swung a ball to the far post to S Wilson who saw his shot on target blocked away by a defender. A minute later, Pope blocked McKenzie’s attempted pass and the ball spun to Milliken who cut in off the left wing before swerving a shot wide of the left post.
Talbot took a firm grip on the match when they doubled their lead after 53 minutes. Milliken challenged for a long ball down the centre and as he went up with Boyle the ball came back to HYSLOP. He strode onto the loose ball, cutting inside onto his right foot before lashing an unstoppable shot past Brown into the roof of the net.
Teams are often at their most vulnerable just after scoring & Rob Roy nearly pulled a goal back immediately. The Bot defence were caught out as the visitors played it in behind for Aitken but Leishman had read the danger & was quickly off his line to beat the winger to it.
Rob Roy made their 1st change in the 59th minute with Gallacher coming on for Aitken and a minute later Talbot made their 1st switch with G Wilson on in place of Shankland.

Talbot were looking comfortable and very nearly added another goal in the 68th minute. Pope let fly from long range & Brown was relieved to see his shot race just wide of the left hand upright.
Rob Roy made a further change after 70 minutes when Mackie replaced Watt up front.
Two minutes later Brown produced a top save to deny Pope. He pounced on a poor touch from McKenzie & surged into the box before drilling a low right foot shot that was heading inside the right post until Brown dived full length to tip it wide.
Young’s corner had the Rabs defence in a fankle & when they failed to clear their lines, G Wilson pounced on the loose ball, only to see his shot blocked by Finnigan.
Boyle had his name taken with quarter of an hour remaining for taking out S Wilson as he broke down the right. The free kick was within shooting range, and Young tapped the ball to the side for Pope to belt a low drive on target that Brown held at the 2nd attempt by his left post.
Rob Roy now made their final change with Martin on for McGuire.
Mackie had a half chance to reduce the deficit in the 79th minute. Talbot’s defence made a meal of clearing their lines allowing Mackie the chance to shoot from just inside the penalty area but he blasted his shot over the bar.

Hyslop was inches from his hat-trick moments later. Milliken fired a great ball across goal which he just failed to connect with a few yards out.
Talbot’s next effort at goal came from Young. Pope dinked a free kick into the area which Butch ran onto it but he lifted his volley over the crossbar.
Tucker now made a further change with Gillies on in place of Milliken.
Gillies almost made an immediate impact. Pope rolled the ball into his feet to send him one on one with the keeper, only for Brown to make a great save to his left to keep out Davie’s shot. The rebound hit off Boyle and looked set to spin into the net for an o.g but Boyle recovered well to hook the ball off the goal line.

Lyle came close in the 85th minute when he lashed a shot just over the bar from outside the area and 2 minutes later G Wilson saw his header from Pope’s cross clip the bar as Talbot piled on the pressure.
With 2 minutes remaining Talbot again nearly scored. G Wilson sent Boyd through on the right and rather than shoot he opted to slide it across goal for Gillies. He stretched out a boot but slid his shot just wide of Brown’s right post.
Deep into injury time Talbot had one final chance. Pope laid the ball out to Gillies who hammered a low shot on target which Brown parried away. It came straight to G Wilson but it bounced up & hit him on the arm, and the ref awarded a free kick.
This was a very impressive display by the Bot, especially in the 2nd half as they pegged Rob Roy back for long spells and but for a good display by Brown Talbot would have won by a more convincing margin.
Next up for Talbot is an away trip to Shettleston whose confidence will be high after their thrashing of Petershill.

Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, McGoldrick, White, Boyd, Young, S Wilson, Milliken, Shankland, Hyslop

Subs – Gillies, G Wilson, Love, Findlay
Rob Roy – Brown, Finnigan, McKenzie, Carter, Boyle, Whelan, McGuire, McMenamin, Sawyer, Watt, Aitken

Subs – Gallacher, Barr, Martin, Mackie, Murdoch (gk)