JUNIOR FOOTBALL: Irvine Meadow lose on penalties

Oct 15 2010 by John Woods, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

TOMMY SLOAN hailed Auchinleck’s Ardagh Glass Cup heroes and claimed: “It would have been an injustice if we had lost.”

Talbot came from behind to draw 1-1 with Irvine Meadow in Sunday’s final at Beith and then won a penalty shoot-out 8-7.

And there was debut silverware for new signings Kenny Connolly (ex Ayr United) and Ryan Holmes (ex Berwick) who signed last week.

Talbot survived fierce early pressure when Martin McGoldrick cleared off the line and Richie Barr hooked a shot over.

Tough tackling Meadow copped a flurry of yellow cards and when Chris McGowan lunged into John Boyle, Sloan and his assistant Derek Anderson were banished to the crowd for their reaction.

Chris Strain’s men took the lead in 39 minutes when ex-Meadow man David Gillies handled a Kier Milliken corner and Barr fired home the penalty.

Talbot sent on skipper Bryan Slavin at half-time for veteran Stevie Mallan and turned the tie on his head.

And their pressure paid off after an hour when Slavin prodded home the equaliser to force penalties.

Talbot counted through Gillies, Connolly, Slavin, Colin Spence, Ricky Robb, Bryan Young, Liam McVey and McGoldrick.

Kevin McDonald, Shaun Dillon, Zander Ryan, Barr, Brian McGinty, David Hamilton and Milliken all did likewise for Meadow.

But with the score at 8-7, Derek Wingate's weak effort was pushed away by Andy Leishman. Sloan didn’t want to dwell on his sending-off. He said: “It was a dangerous challenge and I reacted to it but I didn’t argue with the ref. There were a few meaty challenges going in.”

AUCHINLECK - Leishman, Latta (Spence 68), McVey; McGoldrick, Collins, Robb; Young, White, Gillies, Mallan (Slavin 46), Boyle (Connolly 76); Not used: Carson, Holmes, Smith.

MEADOW - Wardrope, Wingate, Milliken; McDonald, McGowan (Dillon 57), Strain (Ryan 67); Swift, Hamilton, Barr, Hughes (McGinty 76), McGeown; Not used: Jaconelli, Fleming, Friels.

Referee - Greig Aitken.