Super League Premier Division

Auchinleck Talbot 0

Kilwinning Rangers 1

AUCHINLECK Talbot ended the year on a downer as they lost out 1-0 at Beechwood Park to Kilwinning Rangers in a game of few chances.

It took until the 10th minute until either side mustered a threat when Jamie Glasgow paced away down the left and slung the ball into the near post where Dwayne Hyslop flicked it just over the crossbar.

Two minutes later Talbot had another effort at goal as Stephen Wilson lifted a good ball over the top that sent Glasgow free. He went for the early shot and fizzed an effort from 20 yards just wide of the upright.

Kilwinning’s first attack came in the 13th minute. Carlo Monti cut inside and fired for goal and his effort took a big deflection, going just wide of the right hand post and the resultant corner was pulled back to the unmarked Craig Pettigrew but Andy Leishman managed to tip his volley over the bar.

A Gordon Pope free-kick was curled into the centre where the ball broke back to Glasgow 15 yards out and he dug it out his feet to stab a shot on target that Adam Strain parried to his left before a defender put it behind for the corner. When the corner came over Hyslop met it at the far post but steered a free header over the bar.

The game’s only goal came in the 18th minute. Ben Lewis lifted a cross in from the left that Steven White headed away. It came to Stephen Wilson inside the box but he sclaffed his clearance sending it straight into the path of Bryan Boylan who fired a low volley on target that squirmed through the arms of Leishman into the net.

The Buffs nearly doubled their lead in the 24th minute. Boylan broke down the right side of the area and angled a low drive across the face of goal that Leishman tipped wide of the far post.

David Winter should have put the Buffs further ahead in the 31st minute. A ball over the top caught the Bot defence flat footed and he was sent clean through on Leishman where he proceeded to tamely hit a shot that barely reached the keeper.

Talbot’s next effort at goal came in the 33rd minute. Pettigrew couldn’t get any distance on a defensive header and the ball fell to Graham Wilson inside the box. He rolled it back out to Stephen Wilson who fired over the bar from 20 yards.

The final chance of the half fell Talbot’s way in the closing minute. Stephen Wilson sent Graham Wilson free on the left. He sped past Joe Coleman before drilling a low shot on target that was comfortably saved by Strain.

Talbot made a spirited start to the second half and substitute Sean McIlroy forced a corner on the left in the 49th minute when he latched onto a ball over the top. Glasgow whipped the corner over which was headed out of the area where Gareth Armstrong met it and thundered a shot wide of the left post.

A minute later Talbot came as close as they were to get all afternoon. A ball down the wing found McIlroy on the left edge of the penalty area. He played it low across the face of goal and Graham Wilson gathered it with his back to goal a few yards out. He laid it back to Armstrong whose low strike was cleared off the goal line by Sam McCloskey.

The Buffs came close with a minute remaining when Liam McGuinness broke through a couple of challenges before firing a low drive just wide of the right post.

Talbot’s misery was complete deep into injury time when they were reduced to 10 men. Glasgow went down just outside the Buffs penalty box and the ref adjudged it to be simulation and sent him off for a second yellow.

AUCHINLECK TALBOT: Leishman; Lyle, Pope, McPherson, Hyslop, White, S Wilson, Armstrong, G Wilson, Shankland, Glasgow.

Subs: McIlroy, Thomson, Faulds, McCracken, Hewitt.