Pollok scorer: Martin McLauchlan 41

The game began brightly with both sides adopting a shoot-on-sight strategy though as time wore on, Cumnock proved themselves to be the better of the teams. In the 36th minute, Paterson's well directed header was brilliantly saved by Ian Wilson, the big Lok keeper tipping it away for a corner. Pollok stole the lead in the 41st minute with an individual goal from MARTIN MCLAUCHLAN that floated over Graham Potter into his top left hand corner.

It was therefore with a little justice that Cumnock levelled in 44 minutes when after the ball was not cleared in the Lok area, STEVE MCCULLOCH fired a low shot past Wilson. Davie Hamilton could have restored the lead in first half stoppage time with a free-kick that former Lok loan signing Potter saved well.

Wilson and Pacitti worry about John Dempster

Cumnock did not take too long to continue their speedy raids on a toiling Lok rearguard that could not cope with the combined battering ram of Kerr, Dempster and McCulloch. With only two minutes of the second half elapsed, DEREK PATERSON picked up a scrap on the edge of the area to fire a low shot beyond the depairing dive of Ian Wilson. Fired-up Pollok responded immediately with McLauchlan setting up Drew McWilliams in front of goal but the Lok striker fluffed two attempts to beat Potter and his back line before the danger was cleared.

Pollok press for a goal in the first half

And it would seem that Christmas arrived a few days late for the Townhead Park faithful, but the only Santa dressed in red was unfortunate Lok stopper Mario Pacitti who mis-read a seemingly harmless ball played into his path from a very deep position wide on the left, and Stranraer farmout PAUL KERR nipped in to beat Wilson for the third.

The bad day got worse in stoppage time when Cumnock's trialist sub and manager's son DAVID CRILLY ran rings around the shell-shocked Pollok defence before calmly beating Wilson for a slightly flattering fifth. There can be no arguments though as Cumnock were the better team. A painful defeat none-the-less, and perhaps the heaviest inflicted on Pollok (a four goal defeat, conceding five) since the Andy Dailly era.

Arthurlie scorers: Brian Smith 11, Zander Ryan 18, Stevie Aitchison (OG) 50

Pollok began well enough though Arthurlie were clearly hungry for the victory, and were not keen to let their recent good form at Newlandsfield evaporate. The visitors took the lead in the 11th minute when Robert Downs' shot deflected onto Ian Wilson's left hand post and rebounded kindly into BRIAN SMITH'S path, and he had the simple task of drilling the ball with power beyond the Pollok defenders strung across the goalmouth.

Desite the early set-back the game was of course by no means beyond Pollok. However, the lead soon became two though there was a touch of fortune about it as ZANDER RYAN'S low rocket from 25 yards in 18 minutes deflected off Mark McWilliams, deceiving Ian Wilson in the process as is sped past him.

Midfield action from the Arthurlie defeat

MARTIN MCLAUCHLAN put in a great shift for Pollok in the last third, and Lok's goal in 23 minutes was a piece of individual graft that provided the rangy forward with due reward when after battling his way through the Arthurlie defence, he drew former Lok keeper Dean Sexton and placed a shot as far to the side of him as possible that thudded off the right-hand post at the Cart end and over the line. Lok had what seemed a fair claim for a penalty waved away by the referee when Baker was barged off the ball going up for a header.

Kevin O'Neil scissor-kicks Lok into gear

The game was beyond Lok though soon after the break as in the 50th minute Gary Madden's low cross was turned past Ian Wilson for a dramatic own goal by STEVIE AITCHISON, the ball spinning off his boot and over the line. Ronnie Lowrie tried to change things by introducing Kevin Proctor for Brendan Crozier but the Arthurlie defence stuck to their task and restricted Pollok as much as possible.

Glenafton continued to put pressure on Pollok, who until today hadn't won at Loch Park since who knows when. Boyd should have opened the scoring with 37 minutes played when he angled a fine header across goal that Ian Wilson reacted brilliantly to, tipping it away for a corner. Play switched quickly to the other end and from a Nelson free-kick, McLauchlan should have done better than mis-hit his shot wide. Pollok squandered another chance for the lead just before the interval when McPhee's low cross was flicked on by McLauchlan into Drew McWilliams' path but with too much time he gave Matthews a fairly easy task of blocking.

Gary Matthews is called into action in the first half

The football on show in the second half wasn't great, and practically the first major goalmouth incident was in the 73rd minute when Lok went a goal up. Sub Brendan Crozier, impressive yet again as a sub, demonstrated excellent technique to bring the ball down before placing a fine pass through to MARTIN MCLAUCHLAN and the Lok veteran took a touch to lose his marker then drove a deflected shot from about 15 yards out low into Matthew's bottom left hand corner. The deflection was such that from the stand it looked to have gone wide.

Johnstone and McPhee do battle in the rain

Glenafton tried to get back into contention and more heroics from Ian Wilson were needed to maintain the Lok advantage. Inbetween two such chances, Lok sub Paul McMenamin weaved his way into the box but his shot wasn't good enough to trouble Matthews. As the seocnds ebbed away, Glenafton were presented with one last chance when a free-kick was conceded in a dangerous position. After initially defending it, the ball ended up landing perfectly for one of the Glenafton midfielders to have a crack from distance and it looked to be destined for the top right hand corner of Wilson's goal and a deserved equaliser but for yet another logic and gravity-defying stop from the Lok player of the year 2003.

After a minutes silence in memory of long time club sponsor Victor Vezza, who died during the week, it was Cambuslang who had the first opportunity when Billy Holmes failed to connect properly with a Gary McGregor cross while under pressure from Stevie Aitchison. The home side were having problems creating chances, and it took 13 minutes for their first real effort on goal, but Paul McNeill's effort was well over. At the other end Derek Carmichael had an excellent chance for the visitors, but his side-footed volley from the edge of the box went just wide.

The first booking arrived in the 27th minute when William Galloway kicked the ball off McMenamin as the latter tried to take a quick free kick. McMenamin himself found his way into the book nine minutes later after a scything challenge on Paul Brown. Pollok's best chance of the half came two minutes later when nice work by McNeill created an opening for David Hamilton, but his effort was tipped round the post by Rowan. Two more 'Lok players were booked before half time arrived, with McNeill booked for a foul in midfield, and Jimmy McPhee booked for a dangerous challenge on Rowan.

Lok foil a Lang attack in the first half

Ronnie Lowrie altered his side for the second half, with Crozier replacing McMenamin. Forty seconds later, however, and his side were a goal down. Excellent work on the right by Galloway produced the opening, and his ball across the box left BILLY HOLMES with a simple finish from close range. Six minutes later Brown had a chance to extend the lead, but after a scramble with Ian Wilson and Mario Pacitti the ball eventually fell to safety. Hamilton picked up a booking for the home side before a ball from Crozier found McNeill on the edge of the box, but Rowan was again up to the task and saved easily.

After 58 minutes Pollok found themselves down to ten men. After a challenge in midfield by Carmichael, Hamilton retaliated and threw the ball into the face of his opponent. Referee Hilland was only a matter of yards away, and had no option but to show a straight red card to the 'Lok midfielder. Carmichael was also booked. Lowrie immediately threw on Drew McWilliams in place of Martin McLauchlan in an attempt to get back into the tie. Three minutes later McPhee saw his effort held on the line by Rowan after being set up by Crozier. McPhee then made way for Kevin Proctor, and Martin Nelson was booked for dissent as poor discipline set in to the Pollok ranks.

McNeill and Hamilton in the heart of the action

In the 77th minute the problems were to get worse for the home side as a wonderful strike by PAUL BROWN from outside the box left Ian Wilson helpless and all but sealed a place in the last 32 for Cambuslang. Both goalscorers were then replaced as Love and McCrae were introduced to the action. Pollok continued to collect bookings, with firstly Mark McWilliams being booked for a foul, and the Drew McWilliams picking up another needless booking for dissent, his thirty-third in just a little over three years in Lok colours.