WEST OF SCOTLAND CUP SEMI FINAL

CUMNOCK 2 AUCHINLECK TALBOT 3

THE derby was sealed with the most dramatic of finishes as Talbot sealed a last gasp winner.

Talbot defeated in form Cumnock for the third time this season to secure a spot in the West of Scotland Cup final in a thriller of a derby match at Rosebank Park.

The game had all the usual intensity you would expect from the fixture.

Cumnock won a free kick in a good area in the 10th minute when Josh Watt was fouled out on the touchline. Andy Scott whipped a dangerous free kick in from the right which Talbot goalie Andy Leishman punched clear.

Talbot put together a good passing move in the 12th minute. Dwayne Hyslop squared it for Gordon Pope who fed it up the left to Graham Wilson. He sent it across the box to Steven Wilson who touched it onto the path of Mark Shankland who hit a low shot straight at Darren Johnston.

The opening goal came in the 18th minute after a bad error from Keiren Wood. The Nock right-back needlessly tripped Graham Wilson just inside the penalty area and the ref pointed straight to the spot. Graham Wilson buried the penalty inside the right post to put Talbot ahead.

There wasn’t much to get excited about in the remaining quarter of an hour of the half.

It took until the hour mark before the game sparked back in to life when Nock bagged an equaliser.

Watt spread the ball out to Scott on the right wing and he knocked it into the near post where Ray Montgomerie dispatched it past Leishman.

Talbot gaffer Tommy Sloan made a change on 67 minutes with Keir Milliken coming on for Willie Lyle, but before the sub had a chance to touch the ball Cumnock sensationally moved in front.

Once again, Scott was the provider, speeding down the right before cutting the ball back across the box. Craig McCracken deflected it out but it came straight to Del Esplin who steered a low shot into the bottom right corner.

Cumnock then looked comfortable defending their one goal lead with Talbot chasing the game without threatening the Nock goal.

That was until the 78th minute when Talbot drew level thanks to a well taken goal. Boyd headed the ball towards the Cumnock box where Shankland hooked it on into the area. Graham Wilson ran onto it and smacked a perfectly aimed volley over the keeper into the roof of the net to level it.

Shankland had a chance to win it for the Premier Division league leaders with five minutes remaining. Hyslop opened the defence up with a disguised pass to the left that eluded Graham Wilson but landed right at the feet of Shankland on the right of the area, however he got no weight behind his shot and Johnston was able to save to his right.

As the game moved into the closing stages and penalties loomed Cumnock looked to have the upper hand as Talbot conceded a spate of free kicks deep in their own half which Leishman and the Bot defence dealt with.

However, in the 92nd minute it was Talbot who had the last word.

Pope flighted a ball out to the right of the penalty area which Hyslop headed across goal and Shankland beat James Lundie to it to head home from close range to send the Talbot fans wild and leave the Nock fans deflated.

The win for Talbot will now see them take on Hurlford at Newlandsfield in the West of Scotland Cup final later this month.

CUMNOCK – Johnston, Wood, Lyndsay, Lundie, Murphy, Esplin, Montgomerie, Burns, Watt, Malone, Scott.

Subs; Ronald, Samson, Quinn, Lowe.

AUCHINLECK TALBOT – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, McGoldrick, McCracken, White, Boyd, Hyslop, G Wilson, S Wilson, Shankland.

Subs; Gillies, Milliken, Young, Latta, Johnstone.