Cumnock 3 Talbot 6 (7th May 2011)

Match report contributed by murray from the Auchinleck Talbot Forum

Talbot made a welcome return to form to blow Cumnock away and advance into the quarter-finals of the West of Scotland cup.

The early exchanges were fairly even with neither side dominating proceedings or testing either keeper but the 1st controversial moment wasn’t long in coming.

The referee, who was to have a poor afternoon, made his 1st contentious decision in the 7th minute. Spence played a good ball up the left wing for Boyle, who knocked the ball past Wild, and was brought down just inside the area. It looked a stonewall penalty but to the amazement of the Bot support the ref drew out a yellow card, and booked Boyle for diving.

One minute later and Boyle was bowled over again, though this time the referee did award Talbot a free kick. Young whipped it over beyond the far post for Boyle but the defence managed to knock it behind for a corner. When the corner came over, McCulloch rose to meet it at the back post but his header ended safely in Fahey’s arms.

The referee had the Bot fans up in arms again in the 9th minute when he over-ruled his linesman to give Cumnock a very soft corner kick out on the left. When the ball came over into the centre, Collins rose highest to head clear.

Talbot opened up the Nock defence in the 13th minute with a simple ball down the centre. McCulloch’s free kick up the middle was headed on by McCann into the path of Boyle out on the left and his low drive was turned round his right hand post by Fahey. The corner was whipped over to the far post where Slavin headed it back across, but Fahey came off his line to gather.

A slick passing move involving White and McCann ended with Young sliding a good ball into the Cumnock box but no Bot player had gambled, and the ball went to waste.

Cumnock were under increasing pressure and the opening goal came in the 15th minute. Boyle slipped the ball through to YOUNG on the left of the box and he drilled a superb left foot shot past Fahey and into the far corner.

Cumnock suffered a further blow two minutes after falling behind when Moore went over awkwardly following an aerial challenge and had to be stretchered from the field, with Stewart coming on for Cumnock.

Talbot had a half chance to extend their lead in the 20th minute. Slavin’s early ball in, found McCann in space but he didn’t connect properly and his shot went straight at Fahey.

Young then out-stripped Connolly on the left wing, only to see his cross deflected off a defender’s head and just over the waiting Bot players in the centre.

The 2nd goal was always going to be crucial and Talbot’s incessant pressure told, as Talbot extended their lead in the 25th minute.

The move started out on the right with Latta passing it back for Boyle. He crossed it beyond the far post and the ball broke into the path of Spence. Talbot now enjoyed a large slice of luck as Spence mis-hit his shot across the face of goal, and with the Nock defence standing like statues, LATTA raced in to finish past the helpless Fahey.

The home side needed a quick response and nearly got one when Connolly picked out Friels in the box but from a good position he hit his shot straight at Leishman.

Cumnock were now pushing forward at every opportunity but weren’t having any joy, as Talbot’s defence stood firm.

They did manage a shot on target in the 39th minute when Talbot were caught sleeping at a Cumnock throw in. Connolly’s shy found Friels and he passed it into the feet of Wilson who fired a decent strike on target but Leishman made a comfortable stop.

The game could have been all over a minute later as Talbot came close to grabbing a 3-0 lead. Young played a great pass down the right channel for Latta and his shot was heading into the net until Wild made a last gasp clearance from near the goal line.

Talbot had a strong penalty shout turned down in the 42nd minute. Slavin won the ball in the centre and knocked it wide to Young, whose cross appeared to be blocked by Wild’s hand but despite a strong appeal from Young, the ref waved play on.

Right on the stroke of half-time Latta was penalised for a trip on McMenamin just outside the box. MCMENAMIN took it himself, and gave Leishman no chance, finding the top right postage stamp corner to pull the score back to 2-1, and bring Cumnock back into the game with a fighting chance.

Cumnock came out strongly at the start of the 2nd half and had an early chance when McMenamin beat Slavin out wide and played a dangerous ball into the near post for Friels who met it but hit his shot at Leishman.

Down the other end Talbot had a half chance when Young cut in from the left and squared it for McCann but he didn’t react quickly enough and the defence were able to clear.

Any thoughts of a Cumnock fight back were ended on 52 minutes when Talbot restored their 2 goal cushion. Latta lobbed a good ball into the area, tempting Fahey off his line to gather, but he was never getting there, and MCCANN did well to nip in front of McDonald to steer a header into the net.

There was still a little fight left in Cumnock and Campbell came close to pulling one back for the home side. He brought the ball down well, turned and hit a dipping shot from 20 yards, which only just cleared Leishman’s crossbar.

It was game over on 55 minutes when Talbot surged into a 4-1 lead. Latta whipped a good ball into the near post which Cumnock failed to clear. The ball spun up into the air and firstly Young had a go at goal, then Spence, both of which were blocked but it came to MCCANN on the right of the area and he lashed a shot past Fahey at his left hand post.

Cumnock were shell shocked and things went from bad to worse for them when Talbot made it 5 in the 57th minute. Latta released Boyle down the right and he played the perfect ball in for MCCANN to sweep it home and complete his quick-fire hat-trick.

Cumnock made their 2nd change of the afternoon on 59 mins when Friels left the field to be replaced by Tyler. The sub’s 1st involvement came a minute later when he had his name taken for a cynical challenge on White.

In the 61st minute Cumnock made their final change when Williams made way for Love.

The game may have been as good as over but Cumnock kept plugging away and managed to grab a consolation effort in the 63rd minute. McMenamin made the goal, beating Slavin on the outside for pace before hitting a good early cross over which STEWART headed home to make it 5-2.

McMenamin should have found his way into the book after 65 mins for a poor challenge on Slavin but the referee contented himself with lecturing the Nock winger. From the resultant free kick, Talbot worked the ball down the right and Latta played Boyle in on goal. Boyle went for a shot inside the right post but Fahey made a good stop, and Wild reacted 1st to the loose ball to head it behind for a corner kick, which Talbot could make nothing of.

Cumnock’s defence were then opened up by a great diagonal pass from left to right which found Latta racing through on Fahey. The keeper did well to come out and make the block but Boyle won the loose ball and raced through for what looked like a tap in, only for play to be pulled back for a free kick to Cumnock for an offence that only the officials saw.

McCann was brimming with confidence following his hat-trick and he nearly added a 4th on 69 mins when he hit an early shot which Fahey did well to save at his right post.

However, there was nothing the Cumnock keeper could do to prevent Talbot’s 6th a minute later. Young won the ball outside the box and played it into JOHN BOYLE who slotted a low shot under Fahey to make it 6-2 to Talbot.

Tucker made a double substitution on 72 mins with O’Neill and Smith coming on for Spence and Latta.

Fahey had been kept busy all afternoon and he had to look lively on 73 mins to get down at his left post to smother Boyle’s drive, after John had been sent through by O’Neill.

With quarter of an hour remaining Cumnock caught the Talbot defence napping. A ball over the top found Campbell bearing down on goal and as he knocked it past the advancing Leishman and went to go past him, the Bot keeper impeded him. The ball seemed to be heading straight for the net but the referee had blown quickly and so it was a penalty to Cumnock and a straight red for Leishman for denying a goal scoring opportunity.

McCulloch took over in nets but there was little Del could do as CONNOLLY confidently stroked the penalty home to make it 6-3.

That might have been the end of the scoring but the game was far from over as a talking point. Campbell had been fortunate to escape the referee’s book up to this point for his continual dissent but paid the penalty in the 78th minute, when he was called over for kicking the ball away and squaring up to Young. The referee had booked Young but as Campbell continued to mouth off at him, the referee produced the 2nd red card of the day, and it was back to ten a side.

With 5 minutes remaining Wilson also found himself cautioned for a foul on Boyle.

In the 88th minute McCann again got the better of McDonald who had a torrid time of it all afternoon, but as McCann broke into the area, the referee astonished the Bot support by awarding Cumnock a free kick, for what, no one seemed sure.

The referee didn’t add any time on at the end and the final whistle came as a relief to the Cumnock players. This was a very impressive display by the Bot who never looked in any danger of losing out, and strolled to their 5th win of the season over Cumnock.

Next up in the West is an away day at Pollok, with a place in the last four at stake, so good luck to Tucker and the team for that one.

Talbot – Leishman, Latta, McVey, McCulloch, Collins, Spence, Young, White, Slavin, McCann, Boyle

Subs – Smith, Sloan, O’Neill, McGoldrick

Cumnock – Fahey, Wild, Williams, McDonald, Moore, Connolly, Campbell, McKnight, Friels, Wilson, McMenamin

Subs – Love, Stewart, Kennedy, Tyler

Match report contributed by murray from the Auchinleck Talbot Forum

Cumnock 0 Talbot 2 (30 April 2011)

Match report contributed by murray from the Auchinleck Talbot Forum

The police were out in numbers for this league encounter, following the trouble at the cup match, but they weren’t needed, as a combination of the crowd control measures, a poor home turnout and fans just enjoying the unseasonably warm weather, meant that the game passed off without any off the field incidents.

Talbot kicked off shooting up the slope and against the stiff breeze and within a minute of kick off had won a free kick midway inside the Nock half. McGoldrick played it up into the area and Fahey came off his line to climb over Slavin and punch the ball clear.

Cumnock’s 1st half chance came in the 4th minute when McGoldrick’s clearance went straight to McMenamin, who raced down the left wing and forced a corner. When the corner came over Robb headed it out to the edge of the area where it was met by Connolly who lifted a shot yards over the bar.

It was then Talbot’s turn in attack as Boyle found himself in room on the left, and he whipped a dangerous, early ball across the face of the Nock goal but there was nobody there to apply the finishing touch.

The wind was playing havoc with both sides passing game and it was the 13th minute before the next real attack materialised.

Connolly did well out on the right and played a good ball up the line for Boyle. Boyle held off the challenge of Currie and whipped a great ball over to the back post but once again there was no one on the end of it to take advantage.

Talbot’s 1st corner came after 14 mins but with the ball hanging up in the breeze, they couldn’t make anything of it, and after a bout of head tennis, the Nock defence finally managed to clear their lines.

Cumnock then forced a corner down the other end after good play from Wilson. The corner was swung toward the back post and Leishman had to be at full stretch to touch it away for another corner, this time out on the left. This time the ball came out to the edge of the area and was met by Connolly who tried to drill a low shot into the area but it was blocked away.

Talbot had a great chance to take the lead on 18 mins. Davidson found Young outside the area and Young’s pass sent Latta straight through but he took a bad touch, enabling the defence to recover and get back and make the clearance.

A minute later and Talbot had an opportunity to go for goal, when a foul by Currie resulted in a Bot free kick just outside the area. Boyle struck it well and Fahey was forced to tip it over the bar. Talbot kept the pressure up and when the corner came over, it fell to White at the back post, but unluckily for him and Talbot, the ball wouldn’t come down quickly enough and he had to take it on the volley, firing just over the bar.

It was all Talbot and the Bot came close again when Young chipped the ball onto the head of Latta who steered it wide of the keeper’s right post, however a dubious offside call meant that even had it been on target, his effort wouldn’t have counted.

The pressure finally told and Talbot took the lead on 21 mins. Boyle did well out on the left to charge down Wild’s attempted clearance and the ball spun in field between Currie and Slavin. BRYAN SLAVIN reacted quicker and brushed aside the challenge of the Nock defender to pick up the ball and drive for goal. He still had a lot to do, but evaded a couple of challenges before waltzing around Fahey and tucking it into the net from a tight angle to put Talbot 1-0 ahead.

With a bit of luck Talbot could have made it two almost immediately. McVey fired over a great cross which was just fractionally too high for Slavin but which was met by Latta at the back post, however it was more a case of the ball playing him than the other way around, and fortunately for Fahey, the ball broke off Latta and went straight into the arms of the keeper.

Currie was then called upon to make a crucial defensive header to prevent Slavin from nodding home Young’s cross from the right wing.

When Currie fouled Boyle out on the right it gave Talbot a free kick from a similar area to the one Boyle had struck earlier, although just a little further out. This time Boyle opted for a cross rather than a shot and his ball to the back post picked out Robb but Fahey was well positioned to save his header.

Cumnock chances had been few & far between but they did have an opportunity to test Leishman on 28 mins when Davidson was penalised for a foul just outside the area. McKnight tried a curler but got far too much on it and the ball sailed a yard or more over the bar.

The linesman then made another tight call in Cumnock’s favour when he judged that Latta had moved too early. It looked the wrong call as Latta had been level when Slavin shoved it through to him but it turned out to be an academic decision anyway, as Latta shot wide of target from just outside the box.

Play now switched swiftly from one end to the other. Firstly, McMenamin cut in from the right and tested Leishman with a low shot which the Bot keeper held, then down the other end, Boyle spotted Fahey just off his line and went for a shot, which just didn’t dip fast enough to find the target.

The Talbot defence were called into action on the half hour mark when McVey had to react smartly to cut out a cross from the left, heading it behind for a corner kick. When the corner came in, Robb made the clearing header.

Cumnock’s Moore became the 1st player of the afternoon to pick up a yellow, when he was cautioned for a bad challenge on White after 31 mins. Talbot floated the free kick into the area and it came off the head of Currie and behind for a corner.

The Nock defence were caught sleeping as Talbot took it short, and McVey had the angle to put his cross right into the back post area but the defence did well to prevent Slavin from getting his head to it and the loose ball wouldn’t come down in time to allow Boyle a shot at goal, and he was closed down and the ball eventually cleared.

The remainder of the 1st half passed in a fairly nondescript fashion with Cumnock showing no threat and Talbot not looking like adding to their lead, although right on the stroke of half-time Talbot did have a chance when they found themselves three on two, but with Boyle and Slavin breaking through the centre, Young got his final ball wrong and it went straight through to Fahey.

The second half didn’t get off to the greatest of starts for Talbot as White picked up a caution within a minute of the re-start, for a late challenge on McKnight.

A few minutes later, Cumnock had a chance to put the ball into the Talbot box when McMenamin won a free kick out on the left for a foul by Robb. He took the free kick himself and curled it in but White headed the ball clear.

Talbot’s 1st chance of the 2nd period came after 49 mins when Boyle cut in from the right and swerved a left foot cross into the goal mouth but no Bot player had got across the front post and it ended up safely in the arms of Fahey.

Within a minute Talbot had a good chance to extend their lead when Davidson was brought down just outside the area. Fahey was cautioned for dissent, and then Connolly stepped up to strike the free kick, and drilled a well struck shot just wide of the right post with the keeper well beaten.

There hadn’t really been any flashpoints in the match but the game did threaten to boil over in the 56th minute. Boyle appeared to be fouled by Wild out on the right but the referee gave nothing and then Davidson ended up in a tangle with McMenamin. The ref upshot of it all was that the ref awarded Talbot a free kick out on the touchline and booked both McMenamin and Davidson for their part in the stramash.

Young swirled the free kick over for the back post but got a bit too much on it and it went wide of Fahey’s left post and behind for the goal kick.

Cumnock made the 1st change of the day on 58 mins when Farrel came on in place of Moore.

Talbot then came close to putting the game beyond all doubt when Robb rose to meet Boyle’s corner from the right, but he glanced it just wide of the far post.

The Bot had a lucky escape twice over in the 62 minute. Initially, White went in and caught a Nock player late on the left, but the referee played a good advantage, and Cumnock worked the ball to McMenamin who went clean through on the keeper. He really should have scored but Leishman spread himself well to make the block.

McKnight then raced to the ref to complain about White not receiving a 2nd yellow and found himself booked for dissent.

It should have been game over on 64 mins when Slavin burst free down the left and was clean through on the keeper but he struck his shot into the ground and this took the pace out of it, enabling Fahey to push his shot away and a defender then completed the clearance.

Talbot made their 1st change on 65 mins with Smith coming on in place of White, and soon after it could have doubled their lead from a corner on the right. Boyle’s in swinging corner had Fahey struggling and the keeper could only get the slightest of touches to it, and couldn’t prevent it from going to the back post, but there was no Bot player there to turn it home from close range.

Fahey was tested again on 68 mins when Connolly went for goal from distance. His wind assisted shot was straight at the keeper but he couldn’t hold it, and then had a lucky break as the ball spun goalwards and he only just gathered it in time at the 2nd attempt.

Boyle then had a chance on the right of the area, but rather than go for the early shot, he tried to cut inside Farrel, who blocked the ball behind for a corner on the right. Latta managed to get on the end of it but couldn’t direct his header on target.

Cumnock made their 2nd change on 73 mins with Kennedy replacing Stewart in the middle and Talbot responded with a change of their own, Mallan coming on for Davidson in a move which saw Slavin revert back to midfield, but only for the briefest of spells as Tucker made his final change, with Spence coming on for Slavin.

A wind assisted clearance from Leishman then created an opening for Talbot as it eluded the Nock defence and went straight through for Boyle on the right. John went for the far post but pulled his shot just wide, although Mallan had followed up and came very close to bundling home from close distance.

With 10 mins remaining Cumnock made the last substitution with Love coming on for McMenamin who seemed to take umbrage at being replaced.

A poorly executed Cumnock free kick then gave Talbot a real chance to catch them on the counter. Boyle was in space but Mallan’s final pass was poor and the chance was lost.

This could have proved costly as Cumnock then went down the park and had a fantastic chance to equalise. A ball over from the right found Love in acres of space inside the area but once again Leishman made a crucial stop, and as the ball spun up in the air, a Nock player headed it over the bar and out for a goal kick.

Having survived this scare Talbot made sure of the points in the 87th minute. A Talbot attack saw Boyle taken out but the ref gave a good advantage as the ball had fallen to Smith out on the right. He didn’t make the most of the opportunity with his ball hitting the 1st man but it did go behind for a corner on the right. It wasn’t Talbot’s best corner of the afternoon, but the low delivery was skied into the air off the boot of Currie and RICKY ROBB took full advantage of the blunder, glancing it off the back of his head and into the far corner of the net.

It could have been worse for Cumnock as they conceded a penalty a minute later. Smith raced free down the right and pulled it back for Boyle and as he knocked it past Farrel, his arm came out and the ref pointed to the spot. Farrel was booked for the hand ball and then Boyle saw his penalty well saved by Fahey, the keeper throwing himself low to his left to make the stop.

Whilst not a vintage Talbot display, this was still a good 3 points gained on the road, and yet another clean sheet against Cumnock, who have yet to score against Talbot in 4 outings this season.

Talbot – Leishman, Connolly, McVey, McGoldrick, Robb, Davidson, Young, White, Boyle, Slavin, Latta

Subs – McCann, Smith, Mallan, Spence, Sloan

Cumnock – Fahey, Wild, Williams, Moore, Currie, Stewart, Connolly, McKnight, Friels, Wilson, McMenamin

Subs – Kennedy, Love, Farrel, McDonald

Match report contributed by murray from the Auchinleck Talbot Forum