Pollok Football Club

Recap

Footage courtesy of Mark Donnelly

Scottish Junior Cup

Saturday 17^th February 2018, Beechwood Park

Match report by Mark Donnelly

For the second consecutive season Pollok?s dreams of Scottish Junior Cup glory were dashed at Beechwood Park as the local Auchinleck Talbot triumphed 4-1. The visiting ?Lok almost took the lead in fortuitous circumstances during the opening exchanges, Liam Rowan?s cross-cum-shot landing atop of home custodian Andy Leishman?s crossbar. A frantic 120 second spell saw the homesters break the deadlock in the 19^th minute. Bryan Wharton & Jordan Longmuir combined to give Talbot an indirect free-kick from 8 yards out for a breach of the passback rule. This was subsequently charged down and diverted over the bar for a corner.

From the flurry of following flag-kicks, ex-?Bot hero Bryan Young was adjudged by arbiter Duncan Williams to have impeded Stephen Wilson unfairly resulting in a spot-kick. The infringed man dusted himself down to despatch past the reach of Longmuir, despite the goalie diving the right way. Talbot doubled their lead three minutes before the interval, the ball was worked across from the right wing to Gordon Pope who unleashed a howitzer from 30 yards which beat Longmuir all ends up.

Auchinleck came close to making it 3-0 early in the second period, Mark Shankland rattling the woodwork from a free-kick. Pollok pulled a goal back in the 83^rd minute, Del Hepburn?s corner to the front post was met by a diving header from Young to guide the ball home. Any hope the visitors had of restoring parity and setting up a grandstand finish were dashed 60 seconds later. A driving run from Jamie Glasgow through the heart of the ?Lok rearguard saw him finish adeptly across Longmuir?s dive.

Glasgow made it a brace in stoppage time, Stephen Wilson?s effort bounced kindly into his path leaving him with the relatively straightforward task of rolling into the empty net, Longmuir having already committed himself to the initial shot.

Match officials

Referee: Duncan Williams

AR1: David Milton

AR2: Alastair Taylor