Match Auchinleck Talbot v Cumnock
Date: 17/04/2023
Venue: Beechwood Park, Auchinleck
Competition: WOS Premier League (Tier 6)
Entry Fee: £7
Travel: £10.70
Miles completed today: 66
Total miles remaining: 32206
Along with my project of seeing every club in the Scottish pyramid play at home, I have a list of fixtures I want to see. All going well many of these will hopefully align with the project but outside of the SPFL there was one fixture I wanted to write about – Auchinleck Talbot v Cumnock.
Although I have much still to conquer, I’m experienced enough to tell you that non-league football doesn’t get any bigger than it is in Ayrshire. I’ve been lucky enough to see a Darvel – Hurlford, a Marymass derby down in Irvine, hopeful I get to see Beith v Kilbirnie but the pull of a Monday night derby showdown in Auchinleck was one I was not going to let pass.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, Auchinleck Talbot are one of the most successful clubs at this level. They’ve won the coveted Junior Cup a record 14 times – 9 more than their nearest challengers! Throughout their history, the club has always had success but there are two ‘golden eras’ if you like – the 1980s and the 2010s. Between 2010-2019 Talbot picked up a staggering 22 trophies and picked up another cup double last season.
Even in the dizzy heights of the senior Scottish Cup, Auchinleck Talbot found fame at national level knocking out both Ayr United and Hamilton Accies in recent seasons. If there are ever a club deserving of huge respect at non league level – it’s these guys.
The Derby
I’ve been open in admitting that before I embarked on this journey, non-league football in Scotland was something my knowledge was extremely limited in. Even so, I knew Talbot v Cumnock is a big game. Normally games being organised at this level are pretty lax but this was taken more seriously. Fans had to go through different gates and were segregated when inside the ground. Plenty of security presence were in attendance and their usually welcoming social club was open to members only.
That sounds a little daunting, but never did it feel like there would be any trouble either inside or outside the ground.
If we’re looking over the last 6 or 7 years the Talbot have dominated the fixture winning 7 of their last 10 encounters. However, Cumnock will feel that it’s a good time to play them.
Even going back to Junior football, teams that do well in cup competitions end up with a backlog of league games to play. The Talbot are no strangers to this but find themselves playing Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays to catch up – that’s tough! Their title hopes have faded after winning none of their last 3 league fixtures and how Cumnock would love to put the final nail in their coffin.
Cumnock themselves have cause to celebrate. Their last game was a Junior Cup semi-final where they defeated another of their rivals in Glenafton to reach the final of a competition where they knocked Auchinleck Talbot out earlier on.
It was all set up nicely to be a spicy fixture with a lot riding on it.
Odds:
Auchinleck Talbot 3/4
Draw 4/1
Cumnock 18/10
I visited Cumnock just a few months earlier and had a great experience, I have no affiliation to either but chose the home end as it’s the Talbot I was here to see.
The Ground
I’ll confess to having been here before, but the derby was the only fixture I was putting in the blog. I knew what to expect but Beechwood Park is all kinds of impressive.
First of all, on the approach to the ground, I counted two houses whose garden gates had the clubs crest welded into them. Then you see the size of the crowd that come to watch Talbot most weeks. I never fail to marvel at how such a small place in Auchinleck can be host to such a big club. Their seated stand was the original from Hamilton’s old Douglas Park ground and there are tonnes of terracing space. From a romanticist point of view I love how close the terraces are to the pitch and of course that the pitch itself is still grass (something less and less common in Scotland these days)!
A nice touch is a grassy mound next to the stand with a full sized goal set up so that the kids can have a wee kickabout. I’ve seen this in a few grounds now and always find it heartwarming. The menu is extensive with an offer of kebab pies, but I went with a cheeseburger this time and it was bang on.
The ground here wouldn’t be out of place in SPFL League Two; honestly, neither would Auchinleck Talbot!
The Game
This has to be one of the strangest games I’ve ever had to describe. There was an edge to the game although not quite the fireworks I had expected. In the first half neither team held on to the ball particularly well and Cumnock were probably the better side with Jamie Wilson pulling the strings in midfield. The first real moment of quality we got in the game resulted in the first goal. Lewis Crawford carried the ball from his own half into a crossing position and his beautiful low curling cross was met by the run of Ross Smith who volleyed home from close range. Barring that the first half was a bit of a non-event but without being at their best, the Talbot were 1 up going into the break.
In the second period, Auchinleck Talbot were much better and more dominant to the point I cannot remember Cumnock having any opportunities to score. It’s cliche to suggest the next goal was crucial but that’s how it felt. If Cumnock got it the game would spark into life and if Talbot scored next it was game set and match. Keir Samson had the golden chance to score from the penalty spot (stonewaller, correct decision) but his effort was saved by Jamie Barclay. A few around me reckoned it was a poorly struck penalty but I think that’s harsh on Barclay was down very quickly to make the save.
It looked like one goal might settle it but Ross Taylor, who’d only been on the park 10 minutes had other ideas. He picked the ball up out wide, cut inside on to his left and struck into the opposite corner for 2-0. On the balance of play this seemed a fair scoreline but the Talbot were desperate to twist the knife and they did, scoring another two goals in the closing minutes.
Fog quickly descended over Beechwood Park and the last couple of minutes were difficult to decipher but Keir Samson did eventually get his goal after meeting a ball from the left with his head, and what a header it was. Straight into the corner of the goal for three.
Young Ross Smith added his second and Talbots fourth with virtually the last kick of the game meaning bragging rights would be staying in Auchinleck.
I did get a giggle when an announcement came over the tannoy instructing both sets of supporters on how to leave the ground at full time. As the PA addressed the Cumnock fans a Talbot supporter in front of me shouted “they’ve all left by now anyway” before shaking his head and turning his attention to giving the linesman pelters. Never change, non league!
Full time: Auchinleck Talbot 4-0 Cumnock
MOTM
Two goal hero Ross Smith takes the award this time round. Both his goals were well taken and I didn’t know this at the time but the 19 year old only made his debut in January yet looks to be a valuable player scoring 5 in his 14 appearances so far. A moment in the first half sticks in my mind when he had the ball on the left hand side and rinsed the same full back 3 times before forcing Jamie Barclay into a decent save. An enjoyable performance from the kid.
Summary
I’m ecstatic to get the derby ticked off! The local clubs are everything to the old mining towns of Ayrshire and Auchinleck Talbot v Cumnock is an absolute must on the bucket list. The Talbot put aside their ropey form and congested calendar to get one over their biggest rivals and sent the fans home happy.
Talbot are one of the clubs banging loudest on the door to move up the leagues. It doesn’t look like it’ll be this season but this is a club I’m almost certain will be playing SPFL football in the not so distant future. The club strike me as Junior purists who’d still be playing at that level if they had it their own way but times have changed in Scottish football and they’re bigger than that.
Cumnock didn’t play well in honesty, and I’m sure Talbot will tell you they can play better too but all four of their goals were of high quality and well taken – that’s the difference.
Beechwood Park is a necessity, you haven’t experienced non league football in Scotland till you’ve been here. One of the biggest, proudest and best clubs at our level and it was a privilege to be there.
In terms of the title race they are praying for a miracle and things are no longer in their hands but if there’s anything I’ve learned in my short time watching non league football it’s that you never ever write off the Talbot.
GroundhopScot 