WILLIAM HILL SCOTTISH CUP

BEITH 2 AUCHINLECK TALBOT 2

IT was honours even in the all Ayrshire senior Scottish Cup clash.

Talbot and Beith shared four goals in their preliminary round tie, but failed to provide a conclusion to the fixture.

Talbot made a bright start with their first effort at goal coming when Willie Lyle gathered Gordon Pope’s cross out on the right touchline. He fed it inside to Keir Millken whose low drive went wide of target.

Milliken did hit the target soon after. He skipped past John Sheridan down the left and fired at goal, but the keeper was well positioned and made a comfortable stop.

This was a physically bruising encounter with neither side being afforded any time on the ball and more tackles being made than passes played.

McGlinchey came to the home side’s rescue in the 24th minute. Steven Wilson battled well to win the ball out on the right and looked to be fouled just outside the area. The ball broke loose to Dylan Stevenson who swept a dangerous low ball across goal that McGlinchey hooked clear inside the 6-yard area.

A minute later Milliken ought to have put Talbot ahead. Wilson sped away from Sheridan down the right before sweeping an early ball across the area. Milliken ran onto it but from 15 yards out he hoisted his shot over Grindlay’s crossbar.

Dwayne Hyslop came close for Talbot again in the 40th minute. Bryan Young squared the ball inside for him and he drilled a low shot just past the right post with Grindlay beaten.

Talbot took the lead in the 45th minute. Young sent Milliken free down the left and he returned it into the centre where Young was on hand to volley home.

It looked like Talbot would head in a goal to the good at the break but Beith had other ideas and they drew level two minutes into injury time. Martin McGoldrick headed a cross clear but it only came out to Jamie Wilson who managed to evade the challenge of Young before slotting a low shot inside the right post from 20 yards to make it 1-1.

Talbot were under pressure at the start of the second half as Beith pressed for another goal. McLean passed up a decent chance in the 49th minute. He beat the offside trap to break free on the right but hit a tame shot at goal that Andy Leishman easily saved.

Talbot created a half chance in the 58th minute. Graham Wilson ran onto a ball in behind the defence and did well to hook it back across goal. Stevenson ran onto it and climbed above Docherty to get his head on it but his header went wide of the left post.

Route one nearly paid off for Beith in the 65th minute. Grindlay’s long ball down the centre skimmed off the top of McGoldrick’s head and McLean raced onto it inside the area. He flicked it over Leishman but lifted it wide of the left post.

Beith took the lead in the 69th minute with a well-worked goal. Nicky Docherty started and finished the move; playing it out wide left to find McGowan on the touchline and when he slid it across the area Docherty coolly passed the ball into the net.

With time running out, Talbot gaffer Tommy Sloan gambled, switching to three strikers.

In the 84th minute Milliken raced free of the Beith defence down the right and fired a dangerous ball across goal but there was no support in front of goal to take advantage.

A minute later Talbot won a free kick just outside the Beith penalty area for a foul on Milliken. Young flighted it to the back post where Docherty headed it away but he got no distance on it and it fell for Pope who smashed a shot inside the right post to level the score.

The final five minutes were nerve wracking for both sets of supporters. Firstly, Beith came close to snatching it when McLaughlin cushioned a header across goal from a corner. It came to Docherty but the ball broke off him and ran through to Leishman.

Down the other end, Milliken had a half chance to snatch a late winner when he burst into the box but he delayed his shot and the chance was lost as they matched ended level.

AUCHINLECK TALBOT – Leishman, Lyle, Pope, McGoldrick, Boyle, Latta, White, Hyslop, S Wilson, Milliken, Young.

Subs; Stevenson, Pooler, Harvey, G Wilson, McCracken, Hewitt.