TALBOT HIT BY SUCKER PUNCH

POLLOK MATCHWINNER ANDY GALLAGHER

It’s an event when Auchinleck Talbot lose.

That much was all too apparent on Saturday when for the first time in a long time (six years was the figure quoted ) the Ayrshiremen suffered a Newlandsfield defeat to Pollok( 1-0 was the outcome) which sent the home supporting legions into a state of wildly whooping ecstasy while Talbot’s large band of followers trudged towards the exit gates albeit some fans paused near the pavilion to vent their disappointment in the direction of whistler Jamie Wilkie as he and his assisting officials made their way inside.

This match-up had been billed as a head to head between two of the Premier Division’s leading teams but fair to say the contest didn’t live up to expectations and was gridlocked for long periods even if the goal that decided matters was a thing of real beauty.

Eighty-two minutes had come and gone on the clock when the ball was shuttled out left to Lok substitute winger Andy Gallagher who cleverly dropped a shoulder to cut inside defender Ally Park, just on the corner of the penalty box, before looking up and sending an exquisite curling shot into the postage stamp beyond the saving reach of Bot keeper Aidan Glavin.

“ It was a fantastic goal and one that we fully deserved for totally dominating the closing 25 minutes” said beaming Pollok gaffer Stewart Maxwell, who defended his decision for having matchwinner Gallagher on the bench by adding, “ Gal had only played a total of 60 minutes pre-season and we felt he could better impact on the game by holding him in reserve until the latter stages and thankfully that’s just how it played out.

“In fact our greater squad strength was what probably won us the game because our other attacking substitutes Hugh Kerr and Grant Anderson also made great contributions and with better luck we could have added more goals but I’ll settle for one more than Talbot.”

The clamour coming from the visiting ranks over a second half penalty kick claim turned down by Referee Wilkie despite a despairing Scott Rumsby tackle appearing to fell Ross Smith inside the box was batted away by Maxi in insisting.

“ It was probably more of a penalty than the one awarded to them in the first half but such are the small margins in these games.

“ We can look back on near things of our own particularly Scott Forrester’s half-hit shot following a melee which is going in until it hits Marc McKenzie full in the face as he’s sprawling on their goal line …Now that’s what you call hard done by!”

MAXI HAPPY WITH POLLOK’S WINNING START

A capacity Newlandsfield crowd looked on as Auchinleck apparently sparked into life by the first whistle, poured forward in wave after wave of early attacks however keeper Ben Fry’s goal remained intact thanks in no small part to his handling and agility as well as some uncharacteristic profligacy on the part of Talbot’s forward going players.

The breakthrough their early enterprise deserved looked on the cards after nine minutes play when a Smith corner kick unwittingly striking the hand of sliding in Lok defender Scott Forrester brought Mr.Wilkie to point unerringly to the spot .

Summer striker signing Connor Boyd assumed responsibility for the award and stepped forward confidently only to make a complete hash of his scoring attempt by firing the ball high ,wide and not very handsome, much to the audible delight of the mocking home supporters behind Fry’s goal.

Their fortuitous escape led to Pollok relieving the one-way traffic through registering their first attempt on the visiting goal after 12 minutes as Darren Christie made space for a shot , saved low down by Glavin but the overall pattern of the game remained unchanged as Daz and his Lok team mates continued to be under the cosh with the Ayrshiremen definitely enjoying the best of it .

Talbot’s noses were almost in front when the rebound from a close range Kieran Healey effort blocked by Fry fell kindly for Smith only for him to make a poor connection with his follow-up shot while at the other end Pollok front man Marc McKenzie held his head in his hands after wastefully firing high over with only goalkeeper Glavin to beat.

The setback suffered when key central defender Craig McCracken had to go off with a knee injury did not affect Talbot looking the more likely of the two sides and it was a grim faced Maxi who followed his troops inside at the interval with the game tied at 0-0.

Whatever he said struck a chord because a distinctly more combative Pollok reappeared as shown by skipper Kyle Hutton picking up his side’s first yellow card for a crude trip on Euan Thomson shortly before Forrester was denied the game’s opening score by team mate McKenzie’s countenance.

Scoring opportunities became even more of a rarity as both teams seemingly settled for minimizing risk rather than seeking maximum reward however a rash of substitutions from Maxi and dugout counterpart Tommy Sloan soon ensured the tedium came to an end.

Pollok undoubtedly derived the fresher impetus and desire from their changes, most notably through the key introduction of Gallagher, whose looking in the mood mentality was there for all to see long before he conjured up his bit of scoring magic.

“ We ‘ve not scored and Pollok have so I cannot really complain about losing the game “ was losing boss Sloan’s succinct response to being asked for his thoughts afterwards

He went on, ” I wouldn’t say the guys deserved to lose out there because we certainly created enough good scoring chances but when you don’t take them , there’s always the risk of the other team hitting you with a sucker punch as Pollok did to us today though I must say it was a truly wonder goal by their player.”

TOMMY LEFT PUZZLED BY PENALTY KICK CALL

Tucker added, “Missing a penalty kick was a sore one but it wasn’t as much of a kick in the teeth as the stonewaller denied us second half and how the Referee didn’t give it to us is beyond me if truth be told.

“ I have to be pleased with how the guys performed given that I still don’t know my strongest team yet however as was seen today, all our good play counts for nothing if we’re not putting the ball in the net.”

Elsewhere, last season’s champions Beith made a solid if somewhat fortunate start to their title defence in taking care of Rob Roy by a 1-0 scoreline at Bellsdale.

New striker signing Ciaran Diver netted the only goal of the game but the Ayrshiremen struggled to make their superiority tell against a ten man Rabs (Mark Stewart was red carded early on ) and were grateful for an Owen Stott penalty kick save against his former club in the game’s latter stages.

Not so favoured by the Gods were third-best last time out Darvel, after coming an opening day cropper away to Glenafton despite taking an early lead when Leon Murphy netted against his previous team.

Michael Moffat equalized for the Glens before half time and the veteran hitman further demonstrated his eye for a goal is as sharp as ever by coming up with the game’s winning score.

And a similar 2-1 victory was chalked up by Troon in another all-Ayrshire clash against Irvine Meadow down at Portland Park where Dean Fulton and Jack Sherrie goals had the hosts coasting to victory before Euan Baird halved the Medda’s deficit.

Meanwhile, a thrilling see-saw affair ensued at Dunterlie before Arthurlie ran out 4-3 winners over Cumnock .

Keirin Coleman’s own goal and a Dylan Dykes counter enabled the Barrhead side to go 2-0 up , a lead almost immediately halved by a rare headed goal from their diminutive ex-winger Tam McGaughey, a close season signing by the Ayrshiremen ,whose front pair Jordan Moore and Robbie Buchanan duly added strikes to have the points seemingly bound for the Land O’Burns until Dykes firstly levelled matters from the penalty spot prior to the unlucky Coleman rounding off the scoring by putting through his own goal again.

And mixed fortunes proved to be the order of the day for the top flight’s newly promoted trio of Gartcairn , Benburb and St Cadocs.

For long periods at the MTC Stadium, Scott Stevenston’s first half goal looked to have got Gartcairn away to the best possible start however opponents Largs Thistle are as dogged as they come and conjured up an 85^th minute score by Jamie Martin to earn a share of the spoils.

No such luck for St Cadocs ,for whom skipper B.J.Coll’s late in the day goal was one of their few highlights from an emphatic 3-1 Blair Park defeat at the hands of Hurlford United for whom Callum Watt, Michael Mullen and Lewis Morrison were on target.

But proudly flying the flag for the newcomers are a Benburb side that shocked Clydebank through at Holm Park by being 2-0 to the good at the halfway stage through a scoring brace from prolific marksman Declan McDonald.

As if to show this opening 45 minute display was no fluke, Aaron Black added a third goal for the Bens shortly after the restart and the visitors comfortably retained their handsome advantage until the closing ten minutes when Chris Black(with a wickedly deflected goal) and Matt Niven helped make the scoreline look more respectable for the well beaten Bankies.

As an early indication of what may be lying in store in the First Division stakes, one could not help but notice that the strongly fancied trio of promotion contenders Drumchapel United, Petershill and Johnstone Burgh began their campaigns impressively .

Ryan Deas and Jack Breen with converted penalty kicks, Jordan Love and James Marks were on the mark as the Drum beat Neilston 4-1 , the same scoreline by which Petershill got the better of St Rochs thanks to Darren Miller, Cammy Miller(2) and P.J. McGiff inflicting the scoring damage before Evan Galasso weighed in with a Candy Rock consolation.

But top of the pile after just one game and already looking as if they will not be giving up their lofty spot anytime soon are the Jamie McKim steered Johnstone Burgh whose much heralded signing of Kyle Lafferty (ex-Rangers,Kilmarnock and Northern Ireland )derived an instant payback when the 35 year old helped himself to a couple of goals in a 4-0 besting of Renfrew, Dale Simeon and Ross McKenzie notched the others.

WEEKEND RESULTS: P.D.M HUWS GRAY Premier Division. Beith 1 Rob Roy0,Gartcairn 1 Largs Thistle 1, Pollok 1 Auchinleck Talbot 0, Clydebank 2 Benburb 3, Darvel 1 Glenafton 2, Arthurlie 4 Cumnock 3, Troon 2 Irvine Meadow 1, St Cadocs 1 Hurlford Utd 3. P.D.M HUWS GRAY First Division. Shotts Bon Accord 2 Kilbirnie Ladeside 1, Cambuslang Rangers 2 Kilwinning Rangers 2, Drumchapel Utd 4 Neilston 1,Maybole 2 Rutherglen Glencairn 2, Petershill 4 St Rochs 1,Renfrew 0 Johnstone Burgh 4, Blantyre Vics 2 Thorniewood Utd 1, Whitletts Vics 1 Ashfield 4. PDM HUWS GRAY Second Division. Ardrossan Winton Rovers 2 Larkhall Thistle 1, Greenock Cumbernauld Utd 2 Glasgow Perthshire 1, Kilsyth Rangers 1 Bonnyton Thistle 1, Craigmark 2 Forth Wanderers 2, St Anthonys 1 Yoker Athletic 2, Wishaw 1 Glasgow University 2, Maryhill 2 Caledonian Locomotives 1, Vale of Clyde 6 Muirkirk 2.PDM HUWS GRAYThird Division. Finnart 1 Girvan 2, Lesmahagow 7 Vale of Leven 6, Greenock 1 Bellshill Athletic 4, Irvine Vics 5 Glasgow Utd 0, West Park Utd 0 Dalry Thistle 4, Lanark Utd 3 Ardeer Thistle 3, Threave Rovers 1 Kilsyth Athletic 0. Port Glasgow 7 Kello Rovers 1. PDM HUWS GRAYFourth Division. Knightswood 2 St Peters 4, Saltcoats Vics 2 Glenvale 5, Royal Albert 3 Campbeltown Pupils 3, Thorn Athletic 2 Rossvale 2, BSC Glasgow 4 Lugar Boswell 4, Carluke Rovers 0 Eglinton 1, Easterhouse FC 3 Giffnock 2, Newmains Utd 5 East Kilbride Thistle 5.

Regards

Jim O’Donnell