Pollok scorer: -

Lok boss Ronnie Lowrie made a few changes to his starting line-up from the Larkhall game, with Paul McMenamin, Chris Sweeney and Martin Baker omitted, giving give Derek Heaton, Jimmy McPhee and Mark McWilliams a run-out instead.

The first half lacked any real football, with Lok looking a bit fragile in defence and Arthurlie's forward line not perhaps its usual potent self. Derek Heaton proved key for Lok at the back, first shepherding a McKenzie chance out of play and then blocking from Downs. Raymond Logan then powered a header onto Ross as Lok looked for the opener.

Ex-Killie starlet Zander Ryan caused momentary panic in the Pollok defence with a free-kick that ultimately came to little and for the remainder of the first half Lok tried to mop up whatever pressure Arthurlie applied. In one case 'Lie's former Hillwood midfielder Bryan Smith blocked what looked to be a goal-bound header from Ryan, and at the other end Logan headed over.

Arthurlie were obviously inspired by a half-time kickabout involving Barrhead B.C. as they came raring out of the blocks for the second forty-five minutes. Firstly sub Charlie Hobbs had a shot blocked but with 53 minutes played, MARK ROSS picked up possession in acres of space and from just inside the area, totally unchallenged, he lashed a powerful rising shot beyond helpless Ian Wilson. Arthurlie doubled their lead in the 63rd minute through BRIAN MCKEOWN who from a similar position and in even more space chipped over Wilson to send the home fans wild.

Arthurlie were running a what worryingly seemed a very half-hearted Lok ragged by now and Ryan was unlucky to see a deftly floated chip hit the bar. Lok sub Brian Wardle headed wide late on as the visitors ran out of ideas and steam at the wrong time. Sadly for Pollok though, the season is effectively over.

Pollok scorer: Brendan Crozier 16

It must be said though that the team that Gary Faulds and Alan Wardlaw have assembled at Larkhall continue to impress this observer, and while their youthful exhuberance has at times cost them dearly in games, they outfought and out-thought Pollok in virtually every aspect of this occasion. They tried to avoid hitting long balls upfield, instead breaking very quickly and trying to play in the double menace of McFarlane brothers David and Andy in on the Pollok rearguard with intelligent through-balls that continually tested both the Lok defence and perhaps more tellingly the two linesmen.

The surface was very heavy and in a torrential downpour, Pollok's silky midfielders quickly found themselves bogged down in the mire of an April Saturday in Lanarkshire. With the surface not lending itself well to the typical Lok passing game, Martin Nelson and David Hamilton found the going tough, and increasingly found themselves without space to play on a tight park. Pollok's opener came from the unlikely source of makeshift forward BRENDAN CROZIER, who flicked from the edge of the area a sweet effort over Craig Marshall that the Thistle keeper probably should have dealt with better than to only help it on its way into the net.

Larkhall were not to be behind for long however, and it was ex-Accies and Stenhousemuir forward DAVID MCFARLANE who pounced on an Aitchison effort to run in on Wilson and beat the Lok man with a low shot into the bottom corner of the goal. The teams went in at half-time level, though the Lok heads were not. Heads were not raised in the second half either as a confidence-sapped Pollok found themselves a goal down just before the hour mark when a McFarlane shot rebounded off the post with Wilson beaten and JAMIE BRUCE gleefully lashed into the net the loose ball.

The scoring was complete at that point, though Pollok did try and press for an equaliser that would have been fortuitous to say the least. McPhee and Crozier both passed up good chances to equalise and had Lok managed a staggering SIXTH penalty shootout to win a cup tie this season (Sunnybank, Shotts BA, Larkhall, Kilsyth and Royal Albert being the previous ones) then we must have fancied our chances. But football is all about swings and roundabouts, ups and downs, the good and the bad. Maybe the Pollok cup midas touch has lost its gleam.

The season is not over yet though. Wins against Arthurlie (A), Maryhill (H) and Kilbirnie (A), coupled with Kilwinning only taking four points from their last three games against Glenafton (A), Johnstone (A) and Cumnock (H) WILL see us being crowned WEST PREMIER CHAMPIONS for the second concecutive season, no matter what Arthurlie were to do in their other games. We also still have the Evening Times Cup to play for, so the season which seems to have gone sour can still be saved.

However, we have to look at the present rather than solely staring into the future. Current form in all competition (based on 90 minutes of football rather than penalty wins or losses) suggests that Arthurlie have only suffered one loss in their last ten games, are unbeaten in eight, and have taken 11 points out of the last fifteen available in the league. Their league defeats have come home and away to Kilwinning and away to Maryhill.

Kilwinning offer a glimmer of hope though. They are becoming draw specialists and while they have kept four clean sheets in a row, are unbeaten in eight games, have suffered just one loss in their last nineteen matches - and have taken 30 points from the last 36 available to them, they have failed to score in their last two home games. We are looking for them to drop points against Glenafton and Cumnock, assuming that they deal with Johnstone Burgh with ease.

Glenafton are a bit hot and cold at the moment, while Cumnock are in a rich vein of form and with only one loss in thirteen games, could well take points from the Buffs at Abbey Park. Pollok's present form is not good in comparison. We have only won once in the last six games, though our league form is not as gloomy as our cup record.

Pollok scorers: Martin McLauchlan 29, Raymond Logan 60, Kevin Proctor 62

On time Pollok on the attack under the gaze of a hardy supporter

The opening exchanges were forgettable as both sets of players' ungainly floundering in the mud failed to light the spark that would gee the match into life. Pollok squandered a few early chances, with one such effort being Derek Heaton heading over the bar when it seemed easier to hit the target. Greenock opened the scoring in the 18th minute through ALAN BARNES when he skipped past a challenge before firing the ball past Ian Wilson.

Pollok managed to level the scores in the 29th minute through MARTIN MCLAUCHLAN who netted a fine goal after a run from the edge of the box despite slipping as he unleashed his shot. Pollok then suffered a setback with Martin Baker hobbling off to be replaced by Paul McMenamin.

Bell is forced into action by Pollok again

At the other end, Black was sent through on goal but under pressure from McMenamin he lost control of the ball and his chance was lost. Makeshift forward Brendan Crozier then saw an overhead effort come back off the bar but as borne out of the ding-dong nature of the game, Greenock's next attack gave them the lead with ALAN BARNES taking advantage of more generous Lok defending. McMenamin then had to clear a chance off the line as the home side pushed for a third goal.

Greenock on the attack in the first half

Lok managed to bring the score back to 2-2 on the hour when unopposed RAYMOND LOGAN met a corner from the left to power a header beyond Bell and a ruck of players at his post, but Martin McLauchlan's game was ended at this point when a heel injury that has hampered him recently prevented him from playing on.

McLauchlan's replacement was KEVIN PROCTOR and it was the 22 year old Lok forward who scored his ninth goal in the black and white with only his second touch of the game after being sent through one on one with Bell in the 62nd minute. Derek Heaton was then badly fouled by Gordon Lappin, who was fortunate to only receive a yellow card for the challenge.

The game then swung very much against Pollok in ten second half minutes. Firstly MARK BOWIE, a 63rd minute replacement for 'Nock skipper John Paul Dow, was given far too much room to net inside the Lok area with a shot from close range that he hit into the turf to fox Wilson. Brendan Crozier then had a free-kicksaved by Bell as Lok looked to take the lead again.

In the 76th minute, Stevie Aitchison was then rather harshly booked for a minor offence by the match referee, but sadly that was his second offence. His second red card for Pollok therefore, ironically issued by the same referee, a little over two years after the first. As Lok struggled to adjust to a defence shorn of unavailable Kevin O'Neil, injured Martin Baker and dismissed Stevie Aitchison, MARTIN POWER scrambled a fourth and final goal over the line leaving the visitors shell-shocked.

Martin McLauchlan's game did not last