Talbot emerged from Meadow Park with a second successive win and all three points, with a victory that keeps the title fight alive.
Talbot got off to a slightly nervy start, with a few casual passes gifting the ball to Meadow in dangerous areas.
Liam McVey and then Martin McGoldrick were uncharacteristically slack in possession but Meadow failed to capitalise.
Meadow were making the early running and their fans thought they had taken the lead on 7 minutes. McVey gave the ball away to Fleming, he whipped the ball over from the right for Hughes to touch it home but the Meadow player had moved too soon, and the celebrations were cut short by the assistant who flagged for offside.
Talbot had yet to get started and a moment of defensive uncertainty almost gifted a goal to Meadow after 9 minutes. Leishman opted for a short throw out to McVey but Liam was covered and when he tried to clear it, the ball ricocheted off a Meadow player but fortunately went straight to the Talbot keeper.
The Bot’s first look at goal came after 10 mins when Gillies knocked a good pass through for McCann but Mick couldn’t generate any power behind his shot and it was comfortably held by Wardrope.
Play then switched down the other end and Robb had to be at full stretch to turn a ball behind for a corner. The ball was knocked long, past the back post and headed back across goal but Leishman made an easy take in the centre.
With 12 mins gone Talbot had the Meadow defence at full stretch when Latta’s dangerous cross to the back post looked destined for Young, but Ryan got back to make a crucial interception and head it behind.
Young took the corner and Meadow were only able to partially clear it, with the ball coming back out to Butch on the left and he curled a good ball into the far post area but there was nobody there to supply the finishing touch.
Meadow had a great chance to take the lead in the 16th min. Robb took a heavy touch outside the box and the ball broke straight to McGeown who raced through on goal but failed to make the most of the chance, drilling a low shot on target, which Leishman blocked and then McVey completed the clearance.
Talbot then attacked down the left with Young and McVey combining well out wide. Liam crossed into the centre and Gillies got his head on it but didn’t get enough behind it to trouble Wardrope.
Meadow were forced into an early change after 22 minutes when McGowan limped off to be replaced by Wingate.
The 1st booking of the game came a minute later and it was for Ricky Robb. Ricky was adjudged to have fouled Barr just outside the area and he was shown a yellow for disputing the decision.
Ryan took the free kick and went for goal but it was a poor effort, easily held by Leishman.
Hughes had a decent chance to put Meadow in front on 27 mins. Fleming whipped a great ball in from the right and Hughes looked set to steer it home from 6 yards but he couldn’t make a clean contact and the ball eventually went out for a throw in on the far side.
In Talbot’s next attack, White pinged a good ball over from the right onto the head of Gillies and Davie was unlucky to see his cushioned header back across goal, clip off a defender, allowing the Meadow defence to clear.
The game remained highly competitive but with most of the play confined to the middle third and neither defence being really tested.
The next incident of note came in the 40th minute when Talbot were denied what looked a stonewall free kick just outside the area. Connolly played it into the feet of Latta who was bundled over but the referee waved play on.
A few minutes later and McGeown had his name taken for a lunging challenge on Spence in midfield.
Meadow now made a 2nd switch with McGinty coming on in place of Turner.
Strain should then have joined McGeown in the notebook, following a late challenge on McVey, but the referee chose to restrict himself to a few words with the Meadow midfielder.
In the final minute of the half, Meadow had a half chance to take the lead. McGeown threatened to burst through the centre but Robb got across to make the clearance. However, his clearance only went as far as McGinty just outside the area and he went for a volley but it went a yard over the bar, and so the sides went in level at the interval.
Talbot have developed a habit of making a strong start to 2nd halves this season and this game was no different, with the Bot looking much the sharper side at the start of the 2nd period.
Connolly made a good break down the right, reaching the bye line before cutting it back for McCann. Mick with his back to goal, spun round, and hit it 1st time but couldn’t find the target, his effort drifting well wide of the far post.
Then in a carbon copy of the incident from the 1st half, Connolly played a good ball into the feet of Latta right outside the Meadow box, and once again the Bot midfielder was bundled off the ball with nothing given.
The referee then further infuriated the visiting support when he allowed a Robertson foul on Latta to go unpunished and seconds later awarded Meadow a free kick within shooting range for a challenge from Spence.
Ryan got the ball up and over the wall but there was no zing in his effort and Leishman made a comfortable save.
White became the 2nd Talbot player to pick up a card when he was cautioned after 55 mins for bringing down McGeown.
Talbot made their 1st change of the match in the 61st minute with John Boyle coming on for Mick McCann and the sub had a chance to make an immediate impact when he was played through on goals by Gillies. Unfortunately, having just come on he wasn’t quite up to speed, and took a poor touch inside the area, allowing the defence the chance to get back and clear.
Spence then went on a surge towards the Meadow box and looked like he was about to break free until halted by a good tackle from Strain just outside the area.
Talbot were having a good spell and Gillies managed to glance a header on target from Boyle’s cross but whilst it had the direction it lacked pace and Wardrope plucked it out the air.
With 66 mins gone Talbot did make the breakthrough and it was a wonderful, solo effort. YOUNG picked the ball up on the left, waltzed past a couple of challenges and drilled a right foot shot past Wardrope at his right hand post from around 20 yards out to put Talbot 1-0 ahead.
Meadow tried to find an immediate response and Latta was forced to concede a corner when he cut out Wingate’s ball into the penalty area. The corner came over to the back post and a Meadow player managed to get his head on it but it went well wide of Leishman’s left post.
Fleming then went on a mazy run, cutting in from the right before trying his luck from the edge of the area. His shot was blocked by Robb and with the aid of the deflection it spun just over the bar and behind for a corner. This time Meadow opted to pull the corner back to Fleming outside the area and he fired a low shot into the crowded area, and it was knocked away to safety.
Meadow’s Robertson was cautioned on 72 mins for a late challenge on Boyle, which resulted in a Bot free kick out on the right. Young took the set piece and fired a good ball over which was met by Gillies whose diving header flew over Wardrope’s bar.
A couple of minutes later and Young turned defence into attack when his diagonal ball from deep inside his own half very nearly picked out Boyle on the right wing, however Wardrope had reacted quickly and came right out to the edge of his area to gather, just beating Boyle to the ball.
The game’s major talking point occurred with quarter of an hour remaining. Young fed the ball to Boyle and he in turn released the ball to Gillies on the left of the penalty area. Gillies took a touch before clipping the ball past the advancing Wardrope. The linesman’s flag ruled out Davie’s effort, however this is not what angered the Bot support but rather Wardrope’s reckless challenge on Gillies after he had shot past him.
Unfortunately, Gillies injury was too severe for him to continue and after a delay, Talbot brought on Mallan to replace him.
With 12 mins remaining Talbot again tested out the Meadow defence when McVey found space on the left and whipped over a dangerous cross that McDonald did well to clear.
Both sides now made their final changes of the evening, firstly Talbot brought on Smith for Latta and then Meadow replaced Strain with Milliken.
Meadow came within inches of grabbing an equaliser with 6 minutes remaining of regulation time. Fleming put a cross into the near post and McGeown met it inside the 6 yard box and crashed a header off the underside of the bar, which Talbot were able to scramble clear from the goal mouth.
Robertson, having already been cautioned earlier, then had a lucky escape when he went in late on Spence and the referee awarded the free kick but decided against showing a 2nd yellow card.
Talbot had a glorious chance to put the game beyond all doubt in the final minute of normal time. Mallan’s head flick deceived the Meadow defence, allowing Boyle to race through on the keeper but he went for power and blazed his effort just over the bar.
Due to the stoppage following Davie’s injury there was at least 5 minutes of injury time and Meadow pressed hard for a late goal, but they couldn’t get past Talbot’s defence and the Bot saw the game out to win 1-0.
This was a hard fought win that came at a price, as Gillies will now possibly be out for a couple of weeks, but the points gained move Talbot 3 points nearer to the top end of the table and keeps the momentum going and team morale high.
Talbot – Leishman, White, McVey, McGoldrick, Robb, Spence, Young, Connolly, Gillies, McCann, Latta
Subs – Mallan, Smith, Boyle, Davidson, O’Neil
Meadow – Wardrope, Ryan, McDonald, McGowan, Robertson, Strain, Fleming, McGeown, Barr, Hughes, Turner
Subs – McGinty, Wingate, Milliken, Hewitt
No comments:
Post a Comment