Junior Cup Fifth Round

Auchinleck Talbot 4

Pollok 1

BEECHWOOD’S largest crowd of the season saw Auchinleck Talbot arguably produce their best performance to brush Pollok aside 4-1 and march on and into the quarter finals of the Junior Cup.

The Bot’s first real chance came in the 16th minute. Under pressure, Bryan Wharton intercepted Sean McIlroy’s ball across the area and passed it back to Jordan Longmuir who was forced to handle it.

The ref awarded Talbot an indirect free-kick six yards out. Mark Shankland touched it to Graham Wilson and his fierce drive was deflected over the bar off a posse of Lok players in the goalmouth.

This led to two Shankland corners, the second of which broke to Stephen Wilson who was upended by Bryan Young as he tried to clear and the ref pointed to the spot.

Stephen Wilson took the spot-kick and placed it low inside the right post to put Talbot 1-0 ahead.

Talbot’s next attack saw the Bot win a free-kick out on the right after Graham Wilson was fouled by Paul Gallacher. Shankland whipped the ball over and Stephen Wilson glanced a header wide of the far post.

Talbot doubled their lead in the 42nd minute via a wonder strike from Gordon Pope.

Hyslop gathered the ball on the right and squared it across to Pope 25 yards out and he hammered a drive past Longmuir.

The Wilson brothers combined in the 51st minute when Stephen lifted the ball down the right to find Graham in space and he squared it into the centre to find Shankland who curled a shot over the bar.

A swift Talbot counter in the 56th minute was abruptly ended by Sena Niang. Shankland took the set piece and was inches away from extending Talbot’s lead as his shot cannoned off the postage stamp corner.

On the hour mark, Hyslop fed the ball to Stephen Wilson inside the box and he teed it up perfectly for Graham Wilson but he blazed it over the bar from 15 yards out.

Leishman produced his second impressive stop of the afternoon in the 63rd minute to deny ex-Bot player Gormley.

Little whipped in a good cross from the left that fell kindly for Gormley 12 yards out, he struck it well enough back across goal but Leishman reacted sharply to throw out his right hand to claw it away.

The Pollok keeper kept their hopes alive in the 72nd minute when he prevented Graham Wilson from putting Talbot three ahead when Shankland switched it first time to Wilson.

He cut across on his left foot and angled a shot for a far corner that Longmuir blocked with his outstretched left leg.

In the 83rd minute Pollok pulled a goal back. A corner from the left was played into the near post where Young met it with his head to make it 2-1.

Talbot responded in the best possible way to this setback, immediately going down the other end, and restoring their two goal lead. Gallacher appeared to shove Graham Wilson in the back but the ref gave nothing.

The ball broke to Shankland who sent it inside to sub Jamie Glasgow and he sped past the Lok defence before slotting the ball past Longmuir to make it 3-1.

A great passage of football saw Talbot open the Lok defence to create an opening for Stephen Wilson in injury time.

His low drive was blocked but it spun to Glasgow who passed it into the net to make the final score 4-1.

AUCHINLECK TALBOT: Leishman; Lyle, Pope, McPherson, Harvey, S Wilson, Hyslop, White, McIlroy, G Wilson, Shankland. Subs: Glasgow, Thomson, Faulds, McCracken, Armstrong.