Penicuik unfortunate to meet a Talbot team with no appetite to let underdogs bite

It was always going to be a tough task for Penicuik to go to Auchinleck, the Junior Cup holders, and get a result, and so it proved.

The Penicuik plan was to contain the attacks for the first 20 minutes, then push forward themselves. The plan worked, just . . . Talbot opened their account with a strike from David Gillies in 21 minutes. Gillies scored his second in the 35th minute from the penalty spot and, only minutes later, the result was as good as settled as James Latta forced the ball home following a scramble on the goal line.

Auchinleck kept up the pressure in the second half and scored a fourth when Gillies again scored, his shot from 30 yards forcing keeper Billy Bald into a save with the ball dropping over the goal line. Their fifth came in the 65th minute when Keir Milliken popped up at the back post.

Substitute Keiron Paterson completed the rout with a simple header in the 73rd minute.

Auchinleck boss Tommy Sloan was naturally happy with the result, saying: “We didn’t know what to expect It was good that the players were focused. Once we got the first goal it took the pressure off the lads. The conditions were bad but I have to be pleased with the performance.”

Penicuik’s Bryan Ryrie said: “I thought we started well but gave away a cheap goal. I felt sorry for our keeper because he was having a great game at the time they scored. Auchinleck play football in a manner that’s really well suited to Junior football in the way they approach the game. We need to learn from that. There were a lot of goals scored today that were avoidable because we were trying to do the wrong thing. They didn’t. They played the easy game.”

Auchinleck won this game because they refuse to give any side a sniff of a result. In the Scottish they are an awesome side who will steamroller any one they come up against. If any side is to beat them they will know they have been in a battle.

Auchinleck: Leishman, Park, Pope, Pettigrew, Collins, Spence, Young (Paterson), White, Gillies, Milliken (McVey), Latta. Subs: Connolly, McCann, Robb, McGarritty.

Penicuik: Bald, Reid, McDermott, Meikle, Cunnison, Gay, McPartlin (Knight), Barr, Roxburgh (Harvey), Brigain, Draper ( Martin). Subs: Gallagher, Smith, Riley, Haldane.