TALBOT ARE NOT YET BACK IN OLD ROUTINE

McINALLY DELIGHTED TO COME OUT ON TOP

The likelihood of a famine following on from the feast of past glories that Auchinleck Talbot supporters have become accustomed to dining on is fast becoming a reality.

That much was all too painfully obvious on Saturday as Premier Division rivals Darvel went back up the road with all three points in the bag after inflicting the Bot’s second successive home defeat, and their third reverse from four league starts, with a narrow but fully deserved 2-1 triumph.

This latest defeat may prove to be be a foretaste of things to come given the general acceptance that Tommy Sloan’s latest dressing room assembly are `a team in transition` however the feelings of prestigiousness that go hand in hand with getting the better of Talbot in their own backyard were all too apparent when winning gaffer Tony McInally gave his considered summations afterwards.

Macca said , “ The passion of the Talbot supporters ,the history of the place and Tommy Sloan himself make this the toughest venue at our level to visit so it’s a real feather in our cap to come here and win comfortably.

“ The opening 30 minutes were scratchy and all credit to Auchinleck for shutting us down whenever we were in possession but we rallied and scored what I felt was a really good headed goal by Stephen Bronsky only for the Referee to give offside against Graham Wilson even though he made no attempt to play the ball .

“That’s a sore one to take and Talbot then get their noses in front which gets their fans behind them however I felt the reaction from our guys was nothing short of terrific and we scored a very good equalizer .

“Second half we got a lot more joy from asking players to operate in specific areas allowing Scott to get forward and bag a well constructed goal and we went on to easily see out the game even if our overall play probably deserved a third goal to put the game to bed.”

The game clinching moment arrived just after the hour mark when ever willing runner Moore , barracked mercilessly By Talbot followers on account of his connections with previous club Cumnock, won a foot race for a probing pass down the left side and laid the ball back into the path of Scott Ferguson who took one step to his right before dispatching an exquisite curling 20 yard shot into the far corner of the net .

MOORE OFF THE MARK TO BOOST DARVEL’S TITLE HOPES

Out on the touchline , McInally applauded with considerable relish as befitting someone who felt this slender lead was no more than his playing charges had deserved for their overall dominance .

Earlier, 26 minutes in to be precise, Darvel had suffered a setback when the home side’s energy and aggression was rewarded with the game’s opening goal thanks to a sublimely clipped Connor Boyd cross finding teenager Euan Thomson rising highest in a crowded six yard box to power a header past legendary ex-Talbot keeper Andy Leishman .

The visitors may understandably have been feeling hard-done at this stage however they did not deviate from stringing together clever inter-passing movements in pursuit of a leveller which finally arrived approaching the half time interval.

Busy midfielder Ferguson looked up to survey his options after taking possession inside Auchinleck’s half while on the edge of the centre circle fully 40 yards out..

His decision to then elect for an audacious crack at goal seemed foolhardy at best however his sweetly struck delivery caught home goalkeeper Aidan Glavin off his line and unable to do anything other than paw fresh air as the ball smacked off his crossbar and upwards before coming down fortuitously for Darvel’s new striker Jordan Moore to tuck away the first of what he hopes will be many goals for the club.

Some might put his score down to predatory instinct but truth is Moore only demonstrated quicker reactions than Glavin and his similarly transfixed central defenders Neil Slooves and Neil McPherson.

“We paid the price for being a bit too naïve at times” said Talbot boss Sloan in the aftermath,

“ We were fine for all of 30 minutes but couldn’t sustain that same energy so I’ve no complaints over the result as Darvel had a bit more about them on the day .

He added, “Three defeats so early in the season is not what this club is all about and I say that because we’re working with a much younger group of guys and it’s going to take time to get our message across.”

Macca’s men climbed all of three places in the standings on the back of their second league win of the season to date and now occupy 5^th top spot albeit three points adrift of leaders Hurlford United whose own winning ways continued thanks to Michael Mullen, Jack Whittaker and Lewis Morrison strikes earning a 3-1 comeback success against Troon for whom Mark Shankland had netted the Blair Park contest’s opening goal.

Tucked in a mere point adrift of United are reigning champions Beith from a game less played due to their Scottish Cup involvement at the weekend away to Carnoustie Panmure in a preliminary round tie won 2-1 by Mighty through a scoring brace by Ciaran Diver.

Clydebank sit third after running out 2-0 winners down at Largs Thistle where Nikky Low and Lee Gallagher were on target while fourth best position belongs to Rob Roy for whom Ryan McGregor and Marc Smith ‘s names were on the scoresheet in a 2-0 defeat of St Cadocs.

Jack McIlveen and Jamie Taggart weighed in with counters for another of the promoted sides Gartcairn away to Cumnock but couldn’t prevent the home team coming out 3-2 on top with Findlay Frye (2) and Robbie Young on the mark.

No such losing fate befell the third of this season’s Premier newcomers, Benburb who staged a remarkable recovery from falling 1-0 behind to Pollok front man Adam Forde’s first half goal at Tinto Park to record a thumping 4-1 victory through second half scores bb Aaron Black(2), Oliver Smith and former Lok midfielder Shaun Fraser.

Benburb’s success lifted them five places up the table and would have been the result of the day but for Irvine Meadow’s restoring of pride with their first league win to date , a 3-2 positive outcome over an Arthurlie side that had responded to Stuart Frye’s opener for the Medda to lead 2-1 at the halfway stage through Mo Sugarfa and Xonor Bulger .

A thrilling finale was set up by Innes Lambert levelling matters at 2-2 and it was the Ayrshire winger who came up trumps again with his second goal of the match.

The First Division’s game of the day was won by tabletopping Shotts Bon Accord virtue of Ben Richford, Ally Martin and Paul McGeough efforts securing a 3-2 win against much fancied Johnstone Burgh on their own turf (Kieran Brophy with a double was the Burgh’s marksman).

Thomas Sinclair and Darren Miller did the damage to help Petershill beat Neilston 2-1 ,Kyle Gillespie and Jamie Bowman did likewise as the same scoreline sufficed for fellow title challengers Blantyre Vics away to Ashfield while Ryan McManus(2) and Kyle Chrystal kept Rutherglen Glencairn in the reckoning with a 3-1 besting of Whitletts Vics.

TWO MORE GOALS FOR RYAN McMANUS

Yet another notable outcome was chalked up by St Rochs for whom Jordan Thompson and Evan Gallasso were double scorers in denting Maybole’s aspirations through a 4-1 defeat at the James McGrory Stadium.

Further down , Ardrossan Winton Rovers and Cumbernauld United share the Second Division’s pole position with 100% records while jointly topping the third Division pile are Bellshill Athletic and Glasgow United and it’s a similar story in the Fourth Division where St Peters and Glenvale lead the way

WEEKEND RESULTS: P.D.M HUWS GRAY Premier Division. Largs Thistle 0 Clydebank 2, Benburb 4 Pollok1, Rob Roy 2 St Cadocs 0, Cumnock 3 Gartcairn 2, Auchinleck Talbot 1 Darvel 2, Irvine Meadow 3 Arthurlie2, Hurlford Utd 3 Troon 1. P.D.M HUWS GRAY PDM Buildbase First Division. Johnstone Burgh 2 Shotts Bon Accord 3, Ashfield 1 Blantyre Vics 2, Kilbirnie Ladeside 2 Cambuslang Rangers 2, St Rochs 4 Maybole 1, Drumchapel Utd 3 Kilwinning Rangers 2, Rutherglen Glencairn 3 Whitletts Vics 1, Neilston 1 Petershill 2, Thorniewood Utd 1 Renfrew 1. PDM HUWS GRAY Second Division. Glasgow Perthshire 4 Maryhill 4, Bonnyton Thistle,3 St Anthonys 4, Forth Wanderers 1 Cumbernauld Utd 2, Yoker Athletic 0 Ardrossan Winton Rovers 1 .Larkhall Thistle 3 Craigmark1 ,Muirkirk 3 Kilsyth Rangers 5, Glasgow University 0 Vale of Clyde 2, Caledonian Locomotives 7 Wishaw 2. PDM HUWS GRAYThird Division. Vale of Leven 1 Lanark Utd 0, Bellshill Athletic 5 Irvine Vics 4, Girvan 4 Port Glasgow 1, Ardeer Thistle 2 West Park Utd 4, Kello Rovers 1 Greenock 3, Kilsyth Athletic 5 Lesmahagow 4, Dalry Thistle 1 Finnart 1, Glasgow Utd 3Threave Rovers 2. PDM HUWS GRAYFourth Division. Glenvale 4 Royal Albert 1, Campbeltown Pupils 2 Easterhouse 0, Giffnock S.C 2 Thorn Athletic 4, Lugar Boswell 4 Eglinton 1,St Peters 4 BSC Glasgow1 ,East Kilbride Thistle 6 Saltcoats Vics 1, Rossvale 3 Knightswood 2, Carluke Rovers 3 Newmains Utd. 5.

Regards

Jim O’Donnell