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Lawthorn struck in the very last minute to win the League Cup in a match that could not have been any closer and more dramatic in the Kilwinning sunshine.
Talbot started the brighter and forced the first opening after three minutes. Regan Houston latched onto a long ball over the top of the Lawthorn defence and raced clear to the edge of the box where he fired a shot a few feet over the bar. However, it was to prove second time lucky for Houston when he made no mistake seven minutes later when sent through on goal again. The Auchinleck striker clipped the ball past Lawthorn keeper Kyle Dickson to give them the lead.
Lawthorn hit back in the 15th minute when the scored their first clear cut opportunity. Josh McCulley cut in from his left wing and fired a shot into the bottom corner via a deflection from 20 yards. After drawing level, Lawthorn started to control proceedings but Talbot's defence was holding firm. Jamie adamson missed a glorious chance in the 34th minute when he headed over a corner from only three yards out.
Three minutes later Lawthorn hit the front for the first time in the match. Adamson dinked a delightful ball over the top for Shaun Murtagh to chase, he was able to shrug off the challenge of Talbot defender Dylon Murphy to poke the ball beyond the advancing keeper,Nathan Dobie, into the net.
Despite that setback Auchinleck showed determination to haul themselves back level before the break. It lokied like their efforts would go unrewarded thanks to some solid defending but some brilliant ingenuity unpicked the Lawthorn lock. On the stroke of half time a corner kick was taken quickly and pulled back to the edge of the box to Conlan Stakim who slammed a 20 yard strike through a ruck of bodies in a crowded penalty area to draw Talbot level.
Half Time: Auchinleck Talbot 2-2 Lawthorn BC
Talbot were riding on the momentum that equaliser had given them early on in the second half and should have regained the lead in 43 minutes but Houston rifled a 14 yard effort narrowly over. However, Lawthorn started to take control again in a match that was perfectly poised and swung from end to end throughout.
Shaun Murtagh glanced a header wide from a menacing delivery from half time substitute Christopher Barrie in the 46th minute and Lawthorn went close again nine minutes later when Ciaran Fallon drilled a ball across the face of goal but no teammate was on hand to apply a simple finish.
A minute later, Barrie unleashed an ambitious 45 yard effort that looked destined for the top corner only to see the ball fly inches over the Auchinleck crossbar.
Lawthorn continued to press for the winner before extra time and they thought they had it when the effective Barrie saw his header nodded away on the line. Talbot were living dangerously and Lawthorn were beginning to feel edgy as they might rue their missed opprtunities late in the day. Talbot competed well in the last ten minutes and both sides created a few half chances between them but then the frantic last few minutes bombarded the Talbot goal in a staggering passage of play.
In the 79th minute, Shaun Galloway wriggled past two Auchinleck defenders down the right side and trundled a low shot beyond Dobie and off the base of the post. 60 seconds later, a Lawthorn free kick from the left side of the field on half-way line was parried onto the bar and fell to Jamie Adamson who saw his goal bound shot blocked to his teammate Jordan Burt at the far post and he lashed a low shot from 12 yards through the despairing Auchinleck keeper's legs to clinch the cup in fairytale fashion.
Full Time: Auchinleck Talbot 2-3 Lawthorn BC

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