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
