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
