It was a case of singing in the rain for the Bot support, as Talbot breezed through this 2nd leg at a soaked Newton Park, to book a place in the Junior cup final.
Leading 2 nil from last week Talbot took the game to Bo’ness right from kick off and the tie was as good as done and dusted as early as the 2nd minute.
Spence found himself in space out on the left and played the perfectly weighted pass into the centre for JAMES LATTA, who had the freedom of the box to sweep it home from close range and put Talbot 3 goals ahead on aggregate.
Bo’ness now had nothing to lose, and piled forward but without making any impact.
In the 11th minute McFadyen won what looked like a very cheap free kick in a dangerous area when he crumpled under Slavin’s challenge, but justice was done when Collins rose highest in the area to head clear Fleming’s free kick to the back post.
Talbot now immediately switched onto the counter and a ball down the centre saw a three way race between McCann and Duffin and Longmuir of Bo’ness. The keeper was never getting there, but luckily for Longmuir, Duffin’s header went past his own post with the keeper stranded, to narrowly avoid the own goal.
When the corner came over, Slavin met it beyond the back post and nodded it into the goal mouth but the defence managed to scramble it away.
It was then the turn of the hosts to threaten from a corner kick out on the right. The corner was met by McQueen who headed it back across goal but Latta was on hand to make the clearance.
With 19 minutes gone Bo’ness conceded a corner when a cross from the left was met at the back post by Slavin and his knock down was slashed behind his own goal by McQueen. When the corner came over it fell for GAVIN COLLINS and he buried his left foot shot into the top corner of the net to end the game as a contest.
With the home side’s heads down and Talbot buoyant it could have been three nil a few minutes later, and if it had went in it would have been a contender for goal of the season
A superb passing move saw Spence pick out Slavin who in turn fed the ball to Gillies. Davie knocked it into the path of Latta as he raced into the area and he squared it across for McCann who did everything right with his drive for goal, only to be denied by a top notch stop from Longmuir who touched it onto the bar and over, with Talbot unable to make anything of the corner.
Frustration now began to creep into the Bo’ness ranks and McFadyen picked up the 1st yellow card of the afternoon on 26 mins for a needless late challenge on McGoldrick as he went to clear the ball.
Talbot then had another chance to extend their lead from a set piece when they won a corner out on the left. It was taken short to Spence and Colin looped a cross over and onto the head of Latta who headed it just over the bar.
White then made a good burst from the midfield but chose to go for goal from distance rather than spread it left to Gillies who was in space, and never properly caught hold of the shot, which went tamely past Longmuir’s right post.
Chances had been few and far between for Bo’ness and when they did go for goal it was posing no threat, as was the case on the half hour mark when Fleming went for goal wide out on the left but his ambitious effort flew yards over Leishman’s bar.
Bo’ness had a better chance to pull one back on 35 minutes but again failed to work Leishman. Walker swung a cross over from the right and McLaren met it in the centre but despite having a free header, he failed to capitalise and got no power behind his header and Leishman made a comfortable save.
Donnelly then tried to break free down the left for Bo’ness but his final touch was too heavy and Leishman came off his line to claim the ball.
Bo’ness were pressing hard but getting no change out of Talbot’s back four who stood firm and dealt comfortably with everything thrown at them.
One minute from the half time whistle Bo’ness had another promising break when Shirra made a run down the left before releasing McFadyen. The Bo’ness striker made for the bye line and cut it back but McVey covered across and made the clearance, and so the sides went in at the interval with Talbot having a commanding aggregate lead.
Bo’ness started the 2nd half on the offensive but again without really looking like they had it in them to muster the goals necessary to make a game of it.
McQueen fired a wild shot well off target just after the interval and then Duffin got on the end of a corner kick but his header was always going wide of goal.
Fleming became the 2nd Bo’ness player to pick up a caution when he was booked after 54 mins for up ending White who was breaking into the Bo’ness half.
Slavin played the ball down the line and when Hunter lost his footing, Gillies nipped in behind but was unable to keep his shot down and fired over the bar from a tight angle.
Moments later and Talbot had the Bo’ness defence at full stretch again. A ball over from the right was met inside the area by Latta who cheekily back-heeled it in the direction of Gillies, only for a defender to get across in the nick of time to make the clearance.
Spence then slipped a great ball through for McCann on the right of the area and his shot from an acute angle seemed to come off the keeper but the officials said otherwise and gave the goal kick to Bo’ness.
With time running away from them Bo’ness now made a double switch with Hay coming on in place of Fraser and Plenderleith replacing McFadyen up front.
On 58 mins McLaren played a good ball down the left channel but McGoldrick had read the situation and got back to cover and touch it behind for a corner, and Talbot were able to cope easily with the resultant corner.
With almost an hour gone Plenderleith should have gone into the ref’s notebook but had a lucky escape when he was only spoken to for a late challenge on White.
Talbot then came close to grabbing another goal when Gillies whipped a great ball across the face of goal from the left, only for Duffin to make a crucial clearance.
With 64 mins gone Gillies had a half chance to make it three, when he got onto the end of Spence’s ball but he got underneath it and volleyed the ball over the bar.
It was now all Talbot again and it looked as though another goal was imminent. It nearly came on 65 mins when Young whipped a dangerous cross over but Fleming managed to scramble the ball away from the goal mouth.
Leishman hadn’t been called upon too often but made a good save when required on 70 minutes. Walker found a bit of space out on the right and fired a shot across for the far post but Leishman got down well to turn it round the post and as Talbot had done all afternoon the defence dealt confidently with the corner into the box.
With quarter of an hour remaining Talbot made their 1st change with Boyle making his return from injury and coming on in place of McCann.
Hay then joined his fellow sub Plenderleith in the ref’s book and again it was for a late tackle on White who had been on the receiving end of a few such challenges.
Boyle made an immediate impact when he was involved in the build up to Talbot’s 3rd goal in the 76th minute.
He laid the ball off into the path of DAVIE GILLIES and he drilled a shot, low into the corner of the net at Longmuir’s right hand post.
With a place in the final booked, Talbot now made their final two changes with White & Spence coming on after a hard shift in the middle, to be replaced by Connolly and Davidson.
Bo’ness then picked up a couple of yellow cards in quick succession when Donnelly had his name taken for a late challenge on Latta, only to be joined a few minutes later by McQueen for a foul on Young.
Talbot were continuing to press and Latta nearly made it through on goal from Davidson’s pass but a defender got across to make a last gasp clearance and then Davidson met a corner and played a good ball back across but it was well cleared by the defence.
With 4 mins to go Bo’ness grabbed a consolation effort, following a mistake by Leishman.
A ball into the area was headed on by McQueen but there seemed no danger as Leishman looked favourite to gather, however the Bot keeper hesitated and PLENDERLEITH was able to stretch out a leg and divert the ball home.
In the closing stages Fleming also picked up a yellow card to become the 5th Bo’ness player to be booked.
The final whistle was met by loud celebrations from the Bot players and fans who now have a cup final date at Rugby Park to look forward to at the end of May.
Talbot – Leishman, Slavin, McVey, McGoldrick, Collins, Spence, Young, White, Gillies, McCann, Latta
Subs – Connolly, Smith, O’Neill, Mallan, Davidson, Robb, Boyle
Bo’ness – Longmuir, McQueen, Fleming, Duffin, Hunter, Fraser, Donnelly, Shirra, McFadyen, McLaren, Walker
Subs – Ballantine, Cooper, Forrest, Hay, Plenderleith, Ure & Baillie (gk)
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