When the draw for the fourth round of this year’s Scottish Cup was made, the prospect of this tie immediately sent a rush of excitement up the spines of all concerned.
Auchinleck had hosted Hearts at Beechwood Park as recently as four years ago. There seemed no obvious reason why Celtic wouldn’t also walk somewhat tentatively into the former mining village in East Ayrshire.
Alas, thanks to the infinite wisdom of the police and local authorities, it was not to be. With the ‘surrounding infrastructure’ deemed unsuitable, the TV cameras descended 15 miles along the road at Rugby Park instead.
It’s fair to say that the romance of the cup didn’t quite follow them. And more’s the pity.
Talbot will earn a more sizeable pay cheque for this day than they would have done if the game had been played at their home, but that will now be scant consolation.
By the time they left the arena beaten yet unbowed, you couldn’t help but wonder how differently this affair might have played out had it been staged at the original venue.
Johnny Kenny scores Celtic’s opening goal in their victory against Auchinleck at Rugby Park
Midfielder Paulo Bernardo rues another missed chance on a day when Celtic lacked inspiration
Seb Tounekti’s goal five minutes from the end enabled Celtic to breathe a sigh of relief
Tommy Sloan’s side, who operate in the sixth tier of Scottish football, gave their illustrious opponents considerable grounds for concern here.
While it would be stretching matters to say that Celtic were fortunate to progress in the end, it was one almighty struggle – the latest in a season filled with multiple underwhelming displays.
Martin O’Neill had Johnny Kenny’s instinctive finish late in the first half to ensure Celtic just about kept calamity at arm’s length.
With the expected torrent of second-half goals failing to materialise, though, the Parkhead side never looked totally sure of themselves or their passage into the next round.
It was only when Seb Tounekti climbed off the bench to settle the issue with five minutes remaining that O’Neill could breathe a sigh of relief.
As excellent as Talbot were here, Celtic were badly lacking in inspiration throughout.
It’s not exactly earth-shattering news, but the squad are miles off the requisite standard. If some serious acquisitions aren’t made in the next fortnight, they will win nothing this season.
O’Neill made 10 changes from the side who squeezed past Falkirk in midweek. Among those brought in were the lesser-spotted Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Dane Murray and Stephen Welsh.
The selection of the latter will preclude him from playing in the cup with Motherwell should he return there. There was also a place on the bench for 16-year-old midfielder Joseph Haney.
Sloan’s concerns extended beyond the gulf in class and the change of venue. His side hadn’t played a match since December 20 on account of the poor weather. The only survivors from the side who famously beat Ayr seven years ago were Aiden Wilson and captain Neil McPherson.
Talbot did everything they could to make Rugby Park feel a little more like home. The strains of Baba O’Riley before kick-off was a nod to the night in 1969 when The Who played a warm-up for Woodstock in the community centre.
The pattern of the game came as absolutely no surprise. Funnelling behind the ball, Talbot invited Celtic to ask questions of them and hoped for the occasional foray up the field.
Resolute, organised and switched on defensively, they made a fine job of frustrating the visitors and restricting them to as few opportunities as possible.
For all O’Neill’s players were tasked with finding chinks of light in a forest of bodies, they were still unimpressive. They lacked guile, imagination and were often loose in their passing. They got the job done through sheer perseverance.
Long before the final whistle, those clad in green and white implored their board to sign a player. To stand any chance of saving this season, there will need to be multiple additions of pedigree in the coming fortnight.
Kenny warmed Talbot keeper William Muir’s gloves early on when he directed Luke McCowan’s cross onto the target.
Callum McGregor rattled a meaty strike off Wilson’s body, with Colby Donovan then tamely nodding Paulo Bernardo’s free-kick wide.
James Forrest’s quick feet allowed him to pitch a succession of crosses into the Talbot box. Bernardo ghosted onto one of those only to head wide.
Playing in the No10 role, Balikwisha was no more impressive than when he’s been deployed on the left. Tony Ralston’s cut-back invited him to calmly edge Celtic in front. Lacking the required composure, the £5million man only found the stand.
The half chance Talbot craved arrived just after the half hour when Viljami Sinisalo flapped at a routine cross. The Finn was mighty fortunate only to concede a corner.
Within a few moments, Celtic’s growing sense of anxiety was lessened. Quick thinking by McCowan saw him drill a low cross in from the right. Kenny’s movement was good. Having stepped away from his marker, he clipped the ball high into Muir’s net.
It now felt like a matter of how many Celtic would score. Muir ensured the half-time deficit would be a single goal as he first clutched McCowan’s left-foot curler before watching Kenny’s back-header all the way.
Even though his side were a goal to the good, you can only imagine that O’Neill left his players in no doubt that what they had produced so far was unacceptable.
Kenny came within the width of the crossbar from settling the issue early in the second half with a header from McCowan’s free-kick.
Talbot had no choice but to start to open up. There was some reward for this greater risk.
When a loose ball broke to Luke Gillies, he acceded to the wishes of the Talbot fans by letting fly. His effort lacked any real purchase.
VAR came to Talbot’s rescue when Kenny chipped in from an offside position, while Balikwisha had a shot blocked before departing after another dire display. Talbot hung on.
Off the bench, Liam Scales’ delivery to Ralston should have brought the second goal. A wayward header lacking all conviction summed up Celtic’s display.
Benjamin Nygren did work Muir shortly after entering the field. The keeper stooped to save.
The contest was alive until five minutes from time. It took a moment of brilliance to finally see Talbot off. Tounekti skipped inside his man and unleashed a powerful right-foot strike that beat Muir all ends up. It was a rare moment of quality from a man in green and white.
It said everything about what we’d just witnessed that Celtic’s celebrations were so low key. Relief was the order of the day.
O’Neill’s men took the victory. All the credit belonged to the Ayrshire side.
