Venue: Beechwood Park

MURRAYS MATCH REPORT

As they used to say on Police Squad, move along nothing to see here and that neatly sums up a very nondescript encounter.
Talbot started brightly enough & should have gone ahead in the 6th minute. Pope fired a good cross over to the back post which S Wilson volleyed over the bar from a decent position.
Two minutes later Hyslop forced a save out of Davis when he nodded Pooler’s cross on target; forcing the keeper to turn it wide. When the corner came over Hyslop ought to have scored but instead glanced a header wide of the far post.
G Wilson had Talbot’s next chance; heading wide of goal from Latta’s cross.
Lugar had barely crossed halfway but they almost snatched the lead in the 19th min. S Wilson’s weak header fell straight to Shankland whose shot from 25 yards slipped just past Leishman’s left post.
In Talbot’s next attack G Wilson played a superb ball across the area but with no Bot player in the centre it went to waste & Johnston bundled it behind for a corner. Pope swung it into the near post where it flew off McKnight’s head & out to the left wing. Hyslop gathered it & knocked it into the centre where DRUMMOND headed home from close range to put Talbot 1-0 ahead after 23 mins.
G Wilson missed a glorious chance to double Talbot’s lead in the 28th min. Milliken raced away from Kirkwood, who pulled up injured, and made his way down the right edge of the box. He squared it inside where Pooler dummied it, leaving G Wilson through one on one but he failed to beat Davis who dived to his right to turn his shot behind. When the corner came over Drummond met it only to see his header come back off the foot of the left post.
Lugar had a rare chance in the 36th min when Thomson got away down the right & fired into the side-netting from a tight angle.
Davis pulled off a top save soon after to deny G Wilson. Stevenson hit a good ball across the box to S Wilson who guided it across goal for his brother to head & G’s header was going in until Davis dived to tip it over the bar.
A minute before the interval Talbot squandered a gilt edged chance. G Wilson found Pope racing on the overlap & his low centre landed perfectly for S Wilson but he lashed it over the bar from 8 yards out.
Talbot started the 2nd half strongly and almost added to their lead within a minute. Stevenson whipped a good cross over from the right which G Wilson just failed to reach at the back post.
It was then a case of attack v defence as Talbot camped in the Lugar half but with little to nothing to show for their pressure.
Pooler had a good opportunity to open his Talbot account on the hour mark. Hyslop slid the ball through to him down the right & when he cut inside on his left foot he had plenty of space but shot tamely at the keeper.
Tucker made a double switch in the 67th minute with S Wilson & Milliken making way for White & Young.
Young was involved immediately, finding Stevenson racing free down the left. He pulled it back to the waiting Hyslop but he failed to hit the target, placing his shot wide of the right post.
Talbot’s 2nd goal arrived in the 72nd minute. G WILSON looked suspiciously offside as he ran onto Drummond’s lofted ball through the centre but the flag stayed down & he took one touch before coolly slotting it past Davis.
The Bot nearly added a scruffy 3rd goal in the 76th minute. Lugar conceded a free kick wide of their box which Young played in low to the near post. Wilson scuffed his shot but Pope reacted first to hook the ball across goal where Drummond got under it & headed over the bar from close range.
Lugar scarcely made a chance all night & on the rare occasions they were near Talbot’s box, failed to work Leishman. They had a half chance to pull a goal back in the 79th minute when Shankland headed the ball onto Clapperton inside the area but he pulled his shot well wide of target.
With the light failing fast the game just fizzled out and the final whistle was welcomed by all.
Next up for Talbot is an away trip to Kirkconnel to face Kello, knowing a win will secure their place in the quarter-finals.

Talbot – Leishman, Latta, Pope, McPherson, Drummond, G Wilson, Stevenson, Hyslop, S Wilson, Pooler
Subs – Young, White, Boyle, Kirkpatrick, Hewitt

Lugar – Davis, Ross, Kirkwood, McKnight, Robertson, Milligan, McQuade, Thomson, Wilson, Shankland, Johnston
Subs – McCorrison, Clapperton, Anderson, Black

MURRAYS MATCH REPORT

If ever a game fitted the clichéd game of two halves it was this derby encounter at Beechwood with Talbot dominating the first but Cumnock on the front foot in the 2nd half.
There aren’t many prisoners taken in derby games & Cumnock’s Muir was fortunate to escape an early caution when he went in very late out on the stand side.
The 1st effort at goal came in the 5th minute. Drummond slotted the ball through the centre to find Young & he took one touch before turning & firing just wide of the left post.
Cumnock came close in the 7th minute. Burns diagonal ball floated over Talbot’s defence to find McRobbie in behind. He took a touch & tried to pass it into the net but Leishman was quickly off his line to narrow the angle & make the block. The ball rebounded out to Montgomerie who laid it off for Anson but he ballooned his shot over the bar.
Johnston produced a top save in the 11th minute, diving full length low to his right, to tip Shankland’s low drive around the post. Nothing came of the resultant corner but Cumnock couldn’t clear their lines & Talbot worked the ball out to Shankland on the left who raced to the bye line & fired it across goal where Johnston palmed it away at his near post.
The opening goal came in the 14th minute and just as on Saturday’s trip to Wigtown it was a brilliant free kick that broke the deadlock. SHANKLAND was fouled 25 yards out & he produced another top drawer set piece, firing an unstoppable shot over the wall that flew inside the left hand post.
Talbot nearly doubled their lead in the 24th minute. Talbot won a free kick in the Nock half and with Cumnock anticipating a ball into the box, Young played a short ball out to the left to Pope who ran onto it & smashed a powerful drive which Johnston had to tip over the bar.
Cumnock’s keeper made another crucial stop two minutes later. Talbot put together a slick passing move inside the Nock penalty area as Shankland & Wilson switched it right to send Young through on goal. Butch fired on target but Johnston was quickly off his line & spread himself to make the stop.
The referee had plenty of writing to do after the half hour mark. Firstly he booked McRobbie for leaving a foot in late on a challenge on Latta and a few minutes later White was unfortunate to find his name taken after he appeared to win the ball in a 50/50.
Shankland had a half chance to grab his 2nd in the 34th minute. A ball over the top of the Nock defence found Shankland running clear into the right side of the penalty area. He controlled it with his 1st touch & opted to hit it early, trying to pass the ball beyond Johnston but Cumnock’s keeper made the save.
Boyle became the 3rd Talbot player to be carded when booked for clipping Esplin’s heels as he broke forward.
Shankland’s confidence was high after his early goal & he attempted an ambitious effort in the 39th min; meeting the ball out wide on the right & hammering a 1st time shot just over the bar.
Talbot kept pressing but couldn’t fashion any clear cut chances and the half ended with Talbot leading 1-0.
A 2nd goal would have left Cumnock with a mountain to climb & Talbot threatened to double their lead in the 50th minute. Latta knocked a good ball down the right which picked out the run of Wilson inside the area. He took it round Johnston but the angle was too tight for a shot & Cumnock’s keeper recovered well to dive at his feet & smother the ball.
A minute later it was Cumnock on the attack. Samson surged past White & raced to the bye line before firing a dangerous ball across the face of goal but there were no takers in the centre.
Talbot stretched the Cumnock defence on the hour mark. Wilson held the ball up down the right before releasing Latta on the overlap. He whipped a superb cross toward the back post where McKenna made a crucial clearing header.
Tucker made a double change in the 66th minute with Steven Wilson & White making way for Graham Wilson & Hyslop.
Two minutes later Tucker was forced into another change when Shankland went over on his ankle and couldn’t continue, with Pooler on in his place.
Cumnock were seeing a lot of the ball, without really doing anything with it in the final 3rd and this prompted the visitors to make their own double substitution in the 72nd minute with their two wide men, Samson & Montgomerie, being replaced by two trialists.
Cumnock finally made their territorial dominance pay in the 75th minute. It was a poor goal to lose from Talbot’s perspective; a long shy came over from the right which Leishman came for but couldn’t claim under pressure. He spilled the ball & it fell for ANSON who rattled it into the roof of the net from 8 yards out.
Two minutes later Cumnock had a chance to take the lead. A deep cross found no. 16 in space beyond the back post but he fired well wide of target.
Esplin had his name taken in the 84th minute when he went in with his studs showing in a challenge.
Graham Wilson spurned a good chance to put Talbot back in front in the 85th minute. Pooler held the ball up well on the right before shoving it to Milliken. He flighted a cross into the centre where Wilson was left with a free header but he powered it over the bar from 6 yards.
Cumnock made a late change with Wells on for McRobbie and then Latta received a yellow card in the 89th minute for a clumsy challenge on Esplin.
The final chance of the match came Talbot’s way deep into injury time. Wilson was fouled 30 yards from goal and he fired the free kick past the wall but narrowly wide of the left post with Johnston scrambling to get across.
All in all a draw was probably a fair result. Next up for Talbot is another home match as they host Lugar on Wednesday night.

Talbot – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, Boyle, Drummond, White, Young, S Wilson, Milliken, Shankland, Latta
Subs – Pooler, McPherson, G Wilson, Hyslop, Hewitt

Cumnock – Johnston, Wood, Muir, Crawford, McKenna, Esplin, Samson, Burns, Anson, McRobbie, Montgomerie
Subs – Wells, Trialist, Trialist

A makeshift Talbot eleven were comfortably beaten by Bo’ness in this pre-season encounter at Beechwood.
The visitors took the lead in the 7th minute. A shy from the left found WRIGHT just outside the area turned he turned smartly before hitting a 1st time volley which flew over a surprised Hewitt into the roof of the net.
Bo’ness almost doubled their advantage in the 23rd min. Rod McLennan played it into the feet of Wright who laid the ball off into the path of Ruari McLennan. His low drive was heading inside the post until Hewitt dived low to his right to turn it wide.
Talbot’s 1st meaningful attack came in the 25th minute. Shankland squared it across for White & he drilled a shot inches wide of the right post.
The game meandered on without purpose in typical friendly fashion until 4 minutes before the interval when Bo’ness moved two ahead. A Bo’ness corner from the right was headed clear in the centre but only came out as far as WRIGHT whose shot from 15 yards crept past Hewitt with the aid of a deflection to send the visitors in 2-0 ahead at the interval.
The opening phase of the 2nd half passed without incident but when a chance did finally arrive it came for the visitors who should have moved three ahead in the 59th minute. Wright laid the ball out right to find Walker racing into space and his early cross found Ruari McLennan in the centre but he missed a sitter; side-footing it wide from 6 yards out.
Ritchie had a lucky escape in the 61st minute. Wilson was racing to get onto the end of Pope’s ball through the centre when the Bo’ness keeper flattened him outside the area. In a competitive game he might have seen red but the ref contented himself with awarding a free kick just outside the area. Shankland hit it, and his shot clipped the wall & sailed a cat’s whisker past the left post with the keeper beaten.
Talbot’s 1st effort on target came in the 68th minute. Wilson headed Hewitt’s long ball downfield into the path of Shankland & Ritchie had to turn his powerful drive over the bar.
A minute later Wilson came very close to pulling one back for Talbot. He turned on the left outside the area & curled a shot just wide of the left hand post.
Talbot were having a good spell but made and missed a few good chances in a short period.
Wilson nearly converted Pope’s cross at the back post and a few minutes later Wilson set up Shankland in the centre but he sclaffed his shot wide of the far post where McGoldrick couldn’t quite reach it to turn it home.
Wilson spurned a good chance to pull one back in the 74th minute. Shankland did well down the left & cut it back for Wilson but from 6 yard out he scooped it over the bar.
Bo’ness completed the scoring in the 76th minute. Talbot were caught napping at a short corner & Sloan slung a high hanging ball into the centre which MURPHY headed back across goal & inside the right post.
Talbot’s stretched squad was stretched thinner with 10 mins to go when Lyle picked up a facial knock & couldn’t continue, leading to a late cameo appearance from Tucker.
Next Saturday it’s down to business as Talbot visit Muirkirk for the opening game of the season.

Talbot – Hewitt, Lyle, Pope, McPherson, Boyle, Drummond, Michael McGoldrick, White, S Wilson, Shankland, Latta
Subs – Kirkpatrick, Sloan, Martin McGoldrick

Bo’ness – Ritchie, Gemmell, Donnelly, Murphy, Hunter, Ruari McLennan, Walker, Philp, Wright, Sloan, Rod McLennan
Subs – Eddington, Keast, Smith

Talbot shot themselves in the foot as they gifted three goals to a slick Kilmarnock side who cashed in on Talbot’s misfortune for the first two goals and then punished the Talbot defence for slack marking. Kilmarnock sent down a strong squad to Beechwood for the LSY Testimonial match and it was evident that they were not turning up to make the game nothing more than a spectacle.

The Rugby Park side made up their side with a host of new signings including five players who were on the bench against Morton the day previous. They also boosted the bench with a number of Development players who proved to be a decent back up.

The game was 2 minutes started when Andy Leishman pulled off a superb one handed save to deny ex-Spurs kid Souleymane Coulibaly. The same player opened the scoring on the 15 minute mark when  Adam Frizzell picked up upon slack play by Talbot and his pin point cross into the Talbot box was stroked into the net by the Ivory Coast internationalist.

Five minutes later Talbot were 2-0 down when once again they were caught in possession. The Killie visitors made sure Talbot were punished and after some slick play the ball was threaded through to ex Sheffield United youngster Callum McFadzean who passed the ball past Leishman and into the net.

The Talbot faithful must have been anticipating  an avalanche of goals and it took two great saves from Leishman who denied Albanian striker Flo Bojaj who is on loan at Rugby Park from Huddersfield Town on both occasions.

It took until the half hour mark before Talbot showed their hand when Bryan Young flashed a drive at the Killie goals but it was meat and drink for Davies. Minutes later Talbot were awarded a free kick about 25 yards out and Mark Shankland managed to get the ball over the Killie wall but his ferocious shot just curled past the post. Talbot looked like they had finally settled and seemed to have dammed the Killie flood toward their goal in the latter part of the half and actually had a chance to pull a goal back when Young cut into the box and his low cross was turned into the side netting by Steven Wilson.

Both teams showed changes at the start of the second half with Steven White replacing McPherson while Killie replaced Frizzell and Coulibaly with Hawkshaw and Liddington. Talbot were first to show when Milliken tried a shot from 30 yards but it went well past Davies’s goals, but it was thanks to Leishman who once again denied Bojaj with a spectacular save.

On the 55^th minute Talbot swapped Colin Spence for Willie Boyd and a minute later they forced their first corner. This was swung into the box where Gordon Pope seemed to be fouled going for the ball and referee Mr Wilson pointed to the spot. The penalty was taken by James Latta who hammered the ball into the body of Davies where the keeper seemed to let the ball squirm under his body and into the net.

Killie made a raft of changes on the hour mark and this paid dividends when Lewis Clark was left unmarked to power a header which was his first touch of the ball into the net to make it 3-1. Talbot hit back when Gordon Pope swung a superb ball away out to the wing where Shankland latched onto the pass, drove into the box and smashed a low pass right across the front of the Killie goals but unfortunately there were no takers. Talbot made a number of changes as the game started to peter out with new signing Danny Boyle replacing James Latta, Michael McGoldrick swapping with Steven Wilson and a keeper change with Brian Hewitt stepping in for Andy Leishman. “Butch” Young became the last change when he was replaced by his brother Mark.

The plethora of changes seemed to nullify the match and although both sides still made a good game of it there was little goalmouth action although the visitors were always the more dangerous.

Talbot can take a lot from this game as they came up against a well organized and ultra fit team which saw the “Bot” working very hard in every part of the pitch. Kilmarnock punished every mistake and although they will not come up against a team of this class in the coming season, mistakes will have to be few and far between.

TALBOT: Leishman, Latta, Pope, Lyle, Drummond, Spence, Young, McPherson, Milliken, Shankland, S.Wilson SUBS: Boyle, White, Boyd, Michael McGoldrick, Mark Young, Hewitt.

KILMARNOCK: Davies, Cobain, Boyle, I. Wilson, S. Smith, McKenzie, Dicker, McFadzean, Bojaj, Frizzell, Coulibaly SUBS: Lyle, Queen, Clark, Liddington, Hawkshaw, McLean, Dempsie, Whittaker, Morrison, A. Wilson

Talbot started their pre-season campaign with a hard won match against East Region cracks Newtongrange Star. The victory was more pleasing when you consider Talbot’s lack of players saw Tucker having to name himself as a substitute. As was said at the recent AGM three trialists were in the starting line up and the three lads put in a decent display which helped Talbot record their narrow win.

The game was only two minutes old when Mark Shankland tried a speculative shot from thirty yards. The keeper seemed to have misjudged the danger ad let the ball run by him which curled towards the goals and came off the outside of the post. This was the only action in a dull opening portion but on 22 minutes Shankland chipped a good ball over the Star defence which Bryan Young hit on the olley but the effort sailed over. A minute later Shankland launched a piledriver of a shot which Jackson got a hand to and the keeper was quick to react when he saved at the feet of James Latta who had pounced on the loose ball.
Young and Shankland were causing major problems for the visitors and on the 34^th minute Young turned provider when his cross was met on the volley byShankland but his shot went well over the bar. This was the last of the action in a stuffy first half.

Newtongrange made six changes for the second half ut it was Talbot who started brightest when Pope curled adecent ball into the box which Drummond headed into the hands of the keper. On the 57^th minute Sinclair hada chance to put the visitors ahead but a superb tackle by M
cPherson denied him the chance. Star were proving to be a bit more dangerous and had a decent chance when Lalley headed a Swaney cross past the goals. Talbot replaced the hard working Oke for Lee Sloan.

The deadlock was broken on the 67^th minute when Pope was allowed to tear down the left wing where he dinked a great ball through the defence into the path of Shankland who slotted the ball past Doddsthe substitute keeper. A minute later Star should haveequalised when Richardson latched on to through ball by O’Brian but McGoldrick was on hand to thwart the danger.

On 73 minutes the Young, Shankland combination caused a bit of mayhem in the visiting defence but thetricky one two between the players didn’t have the preferred outcome when Young shot well past. Twominutes later Shankland tested Dods with a low shot which the keeper saved easily, and a minute later Steven Wilson should have done better when he got his head onto a Latta cross but he put too fine a touch to it and the ball flew past the far away post. Wilson made

amends on the 80^th minute when he picked up a loose ball which he turned into the path of Shankland. The striker then left two defenders in his wake and chipped
the ball over the advancingDodds to put Talbot 2-0 up.

Star pulled a goal back a minute later when O’Brian picked hole in the Talbot defence and the dangerous Richardson had time to leave Leishman with no chance as he picked his spot. Willie Lyle picked up a slight nock near the end and was replaced by Steven White but that was last majot talking point as a patched up Talbot took the honours.

TALBOT: Leishman, Lyle, Pope, McGoldrick, McPherson, Drummond, S.Wilson, Young, Latta, Oke,Shankland. Subs. T.Sloan, L.Sloan, Kirkpatrick, White.