Venue: Guys Meadow

MATCH REPORT:  JIM McAULEY.  PHOTO’S:  SARAH-JANE HOY

Guys Meadow passed a late inspection for this league tie and after 90 minutes of turgid football the vast majority of the travelling support would have wished referee Ryan Kennedy has put a line through the fixture as Bot fans who made the journey would no doubt have been much more happy sitting in front of Jeff Stelling on a dismal Saturday afternoon.

The gluepot surface and the steady drizzle did little to enhance the game, but in the opening minute the home side came straight out the traps where Young got enough room to flash a shot over the head of Leishman and off the bar with the big keeper left rooted to the spot. If the crowd expected more to come then they were to be bitterly disappointed as this was one of the few talking points of the game as Talbot’s day was somewhat encapsulated with Boyland flagged offside,  a trait that was to follow the Talbot players throughout the game.

It took 20 minutes for Talbot to mount a serious attack on the home goals when Armstrong’s cross into the box was tamely headed into the hands of McAllistar. Rob Roy picked up a couple of cheap bookings when an over exuberant McNab received a card for leaving the foot in while Young tripped Graham Wilson as the forward tried to move the ball forward. Armstrong made sure that the two Rab’s players’names were not lonely in the referee’s book as he was later carded for a push in the middle of the park. The rest of the half soon petered out in a flurry of fouls, throw-ins, and by-kicks as the players  who to their credit tried to manage the conditions and produce some sort of excitement.

Talbot introduced Mason to the fray at the expense of Graham Wilson at the start of the second half while Cairns found himself carded early doors to put the Rab’s tally at three yellows. Talbot should have taken the lead in the 55th minute when a ferocious low cross by Mason cannoned of Bronsley into the path of Samson where the striker hammered the ball over the bar. Talbot were trying their best to release the two strikers as keeper McAllistar was struggling badly due to kicking the ground as he attempted a clearance late in the first half and was definitely going to pick up a last place on a one on one situation. Stafford was first to try his luck  at turning the home defence when he dinked a pass slightly in front of Samson who looked favourite to reach the ball before the keeper but O’Halloran managed to clear before Samson could get any control on it. The same fate befell Mason who had sprung the offside trap but Bronsley cleared the danger with Mason just pipped to the post.

A minute later a loose ball cleared from the Talbot defence was intercepted by Gilday and his shot rippled the side of Leishman’s net but the keepers posture showed that the shot was spectacular but of no immediate threat. On the hour Talbot amazingly forced their first corner where Wardrope found Taylor with a short pass but the defender tried to knock the ball into the near corner  of the net where McAllistar managed to thwart Samson and gather the ball at the second attempt. Talbot again proved dangerous from the corner flag when on 63 minutes Wardrope’s cross was headed out to Taylor who swung it back into the danger area but the ball pinballed around the six yard box until the referee decided a foul against Talbot was warranted. The home side made a couple changes to shore the midfield, but it was the Talbot substitution that was the talking point when Leishman went up to catch a corner kick and fell crumpled to the ground. The physio spent a few minutes with the stricken keeper but it was clear he couldn’t carry on and with the reserve keeper also injured the gloves were handed to Mark Shankland.

Sensing the fact that Shankland was one of the smallest players in the Talbot squad Gilday tried his luck from well out but his shot ended up in the midriff of the stand in keeper much to the howls of encouragement by the supporters in the shed. Although it was a poor performance all  the team have to be applauded for keeping the Rab’s well away from troubling Shankland as well as trying to nick the points as the game went into the last 20 minutes. Talbot were finding space down the left and a Boylan cross was intercepted by the keeper as Mason who had just been booked tried to get a head on the ball as it came into the danger area. As the game wound down another dangerous cross into the box was missed by everyone except Armstrong who ballooned the ball over the bar. The game ended with a chance for Boylan who after managing to get the ball to his left foot the front man sliced his shot so badly it went out for a home throw.

The final whistle was greeted by silence from the visiting support who were trudging towards their buses and cars while the Rab’s fans looked on as keeper McAllistar was carried to the pavilion finally succumbing to his first half injury. Definitely a lost chance to put pressure on Beith and Darvel and possibly a headache for the Talbot backroom staff if Andy Leishman’s injury proved to be serious.

Rob Roy: McAllistar, Walker, P’Halloran, Martin, Bronsley, Cairns, Hughes, Anderson, McNab, Young, Gilday, Subs: Barclay, Gordan, McCaffer, Woodhouse, Granger and Campbell.

Talbot: Leishman, Stafford, Taylor, McPherson, McCracken, Armstrong, Boyle, Wardrope, G. Wilson, Samson, Boylan. Subs: Mason, Shankland, Smith, Healy, Crawford and Sinnaman.

MURRAY’S MATCH REPORT

Talbot never seemed to hit top gear but did enough to secure the win over Rob Roy in energy sapping conditions.

Rob Roy made the brighter start, without actually offering any threat, and the first clear chance came Talbot’s way after 7 minutes. Wilson’s ball down the left found the Roy defence missing in action, picking out Samson in space just inside the penalty area. He could have carried it on but opted to shoot early & his attempt to place it ended up as a back pass at Burns.

The hosts learned you should always play to the whistle in the 14^th minute when they conceded a bizarre free kick. In anticipation of an offside decision their player picked the ball up & placed it down to take a free kick only for the ref to award it to Talbot for hand ball. Armstrong touched it to Shankland who let fly from 30 yards but it went straight at the keeper.

A free kick in a dangerous position saw Rob Roy have their first glimpse at goal of the evening but Scott got his effort all wrong sending it high & wide of target.

It was becoming a game of set pieces and Talbot won the next one within striking distance after Healy was sandwiched as he burst forward. Shankland curled it over the wall but it didn’t come down quickly enough & sped over the bar.

Talbot had a real chance to take the lead in the 29^th minute. Boyd hit a good ball down the right that found Samson racing in behind. Burns was stranded well off his line & Samson attempted to hit it early & pass it between him & his left post but didn’t catch it right & it ended up an easy save for the keeper.

Truesdale picked up a caution in the 32^nd minute when he was guilty of a shirt tug on Healy and he was joined in the book 3 minutes later by Bell when he sent a Bot player crashing to prevent them being released at a throw in.

Talbot ended the half strongly and only a fantastic stop from Burns prevented Samson giving Talbot the lead in the 41^st minute. Shankland slid the ball through the defence to send Samson clean through but the keeper showed great reflexes to turn his powerful shot over the bar.

Rob Roy then put together a good move with Leighton switching it inside to Scott who in turn fed it left to McMonagle on the edge of the area but his weak shot didn’t trouble Leishman.

The opening goal came in the final minute of the half. A shy from the left came to Glasgow who squared the ball across to MARK SHANKLAND who rifled a right foot shot past Burns at his right hand post to send Talbot in a goal to the good.

When the teams returned to the field Talbot had made a switch with McDowall on in place of Boyd.

The Bot were slow out of the traps at the start of the 2^nd half & almost paid the price a minute in. Arbuckle squared the ball to Truesdale outside the area & with no one closing him down he had the time & space to get his shot away. Leishman got a hand to it and it was enough to send it off his right post.

Shortly after Rob Roy were forced into a change when Bell limped off to be replaced by Ross.

Talbot were denied what looked a stonewall penalty in the 54^th minute. Shankland’s reverse pass found Glasgow inside the area & as he skipped past Gordon he clearly had his heels clipped. He managed to stay on his feet but all Talbot got from it was a corner kick.

At the other end Talbot gifted Rob Roy half an opening when Leishman bowled the ball out to Wilson not spotting Gordon in the vicinity. He nipped in to rob Wilson of the ball & sped free down the right before cutting the ball back to Arbuckle whose low drive was blocked away.

Talbot came close to doubling their advantage courtesy of misplaced cross. The ball was shoved left to Wilson whose cross had the keeper struggling before landing on the roof of the net.

In the 65^th minute Talbot made their 2^nd change with Graham Wilson coming on for Shankland.

The home side then had two decent chances within a minute to level. Firstly Leighton out-paced McCracken down the right to make it into the penalty area but his ball across was cut out by McPherson and then shortly after Scott’s diagonal pass from left to right found Leighton in acres of space on the right but he hit it first time & lashed his shot over.

This proved costly as Talbot double their lead in their next attack. McDowall did well down the right before delivering an inch perfect cross that KEIR SAMSON met to glance a header in off the foot of the post to put Talbot 2-0 ahead with 71 mins gone.

With quarter of an hour to go McPherson turned defence to attack as he raced from his own half past a series of challenges before releasing it to Samson who finished it well but from a yard offside.

Talbot made their 3^rd and final change in the 78^th minute when Fotheringham replaced Glasgow.

In the 81^st minute Graham Wilson switched the ball quickly out left to release Samson who made tracks before cutting it back into the area. The defence only half cleared it & it came to Fotheringham 18 yards out but he didn’t catch his shot cleanly and it drifted wide of the right post.

Five minutes from time Leishman’s throw found Graham Wilson out on the left and he played a one-two with Fotheringham before whipping over a cross that the defence managed to head behind for a corner.

As the game moved into injury time McDowall had one final effort to add to Talbot’s lead. He gathered 25 yards out & fired for goal. His shot took a deflection & Burns had to turn it past his left post.

Next up for Talbot it is back to Beechwood this Saturday where Talbot play host to Troon.

Kirkintilloch Rob Roy – Burns, Walker, Gilday, Bell, O’Halloran, Gordon, Leighton, Truesdale, Arbuckle, McMonagle, Fraser Scott

Subs – Ross, Callum Scott, Babers, Reilly, Bryson, Marley

Auchinleck Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Aiden Wilson, McPherson, Craig McCracken, Healy, Boyd, Armstrong, Shankland, Samson, Glasgow

Subs – Graham Wilson, Boylan, McDowall, Robbie McCracken, Mason, Fotheringham, Steven Wilson