McBookie Premiership

LARGS THISTLE 3

AUCHINLECK TALBOT 4

By Calum Corral

TENACIOUS Talbot held off a late comeback from the Barrfields men to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

They just ran out of time in the end as Auchinleck held off a late comeback from the Barrfields men in an engrossing 90 minute encounter.

Talbot looked to be heading to a comfortable victory in the sunshine as they eased to a 3-0 lead within 37 minutes.

The opening goal arrived with ten minutes on the stopwatch as an initial shot had been blocked but the ball was picked up by Mark Shankland at the left of the area and he coolly curled the ball into the bottom right corner.

It didn’t disrupt Thistle’s early rhythm going forward and Talbot were being forced into uncharacteristic mistakes with young on-loan Morton signing Ben Eardley cleverly rounding a Talbot defender on the right wing before sending in a sizzling cross but unfortunately there were no takers. Talbot didn’t waste the free ball and sent it far down the right wing where Jamie Glasgow picked up and dashed diagonally into the box, and under pressure from a defender, quickly converted as Ross Lundy came rushing out his goal in 21 minutes. Thistle again pushed forward at every opportunity with away skipper Willie Lyle heading past his own keeper for a corner. The visitors were in typical bullish mood and scored a third goal as Shankland’s deep cross from the left during another Talbot breakaway was met by Jamie Glasgow who glided home a header into the top right corner to put Auchinleck on easy street... or so we thought. Largs kept winning corners and it was perhaps no surprise that George Sewell powered in with a header to reduce the deficit before half-time. The killer goal came within minutes of the restart. Out on the left wing Mark Shankland looked up and hooked a powerful cross into the top right corner. It was a spectacular effort and whether it was meant or not, Shankland was clearly aiming for the danger area. Largs halved the deficit in 55 minutes as Stuart Faulds launched a high ball towards the box and William Sewell out-muscled a Talbot defender to win possession. On-loan Morton youngster Kieran Brophy steamed on through to fire under Leishman and net on his debut. Largs won a late penalty kick as the match went into stoppage time after Brophy was taken down as he sped in from the byeline. Jamie McKenna stepped up to net for his first Thistle goal. Auchinleck were clinical but looked unsettled at times by Thistle’s frenetic forward play.

AUCHINLECK TALBOT: Leishman; Lyle, Pope, McPherson, Young, White, S Wilson, Armstrong, G Wilson, Shankland, Glasgow. Subs: McKinlay, Hyslop, Healy, A Wilson, Samson.