Crowd violence shamefully marred the Scottish Junior Cup contest between Kilwinning Rangers 1-0 defeat of St Roch's on Saturday and saw tie held up for close to ten minutes towards the end of the game.

Ugly skirmishes between small factions of the warring supports even spread onto Royston Road outside the James McGrory Stadium while both sets of club officials and referee Ross Hardie attempted to restore some semblance of order inside the famous old Junior ground.

The whistler compelled to take the unprecedented action of gathering both teams together at the halfway line to explain he had asked for the entrance to the dressing rooms to be cleared if he was going to restart the first-round game and play out the closing four minutes plus injury time.

And hard to argue with him given that area was where things kicked off in the aftermath of his 86th-minute decision to red card Candy Rock midfielder John Sweeney and Buffs defender Isaac Kerr on the say so of assistant Declo Espinha who had sprinted 50 yards onto the pitch to highlight an off-the-ball spat between the duo while Hardie was pre-occupied in yellow carding another Kilwinning player.

Not for one minute is one laying the blame for what followed at the feet of the match officials as they certainly cannot be held responsible for the dismissed duo then coming together in an angry exchange walking off the pitch that culminated in a second red card being brandished at Sweeney.

And neither is it their fault that Saturday’s incessant downpour had lit the fuse for mayhem by causing rival supporters to cram into the only shelter available - the covered enclosure adjacent to the dressing rooms.

One could sense a simmering undercurrent, albeit it was mainly jocular taunts being voiced even after Kilwinning netted the only goal of the game in 85 minutes.

However, temperatures came to the boil as red card sinner Kerr attempted to make his way into the pavilion and an altercation ensued that saw punches thrown and children ushered away from the flashpoint to safety prior to both sets of players arriving to add to the general melee.

The closing stages passed without incident when they were eventually played out and it’s not too far of the mark to describe this somewhat pedestrian all West Region clash in a similar vein .

St Roch's, particularly first half when playing with the elements in their favour were busy and territorially dominant but they rarely threatened the visiting goal other than when Keiran Martin’s fierce volley smashed off the crossbar and the same player was denied by a fabulous Adam Strain tip over save midway through the second half.

Kilwinning manager Chris Strain said: "My players showed guts and determination to stick it out coming here today and restrict St Roch's to nothing more than long-range shots.

“ The boy Martin’s two attempts and a dipping Sweeney shot is as close as they came to a goal and I felt Isaac and Joe Coleman were simply immense at the heart of our defence.

“A draw was probably a fair result, but given what took place I’m glad not to be facing a replay.”

Last season’s beaten semi-finalists Kilwinning were hardly to the fore as an attacking presence themselves and had only a second half Calvin Kemp shot against the upright as a near thing prior to the wing ace being left criminally unmarked to meet a Liam McGuinness free kick and head home from six yards range .

Candy Rock gaffer Andy Cameron admitted: “It’s pleasing to think we have competed so well against a Super Premier Division side in terms of general play.

“That said , we have momentarily switched off at the free kick and you just cannot afford to do that against the big boys without being punished as we were today.

“It’s a cruel lesson but one we have to take on board.”

There was no lack of Scottish Cup upsets with 2014 winners Hurlford United and fellow Super Premier outfits, Cumnock, Troon and Largs Thistle among the first round fallers while Glenafton needed late in the day Cammy Marlow and Kyle McAusland goals to earn a 3-3 draw away to Broxburn Athletic.

Cumnock lost out to Joe McAfferty counter and an own goal against Wishaw and Stevie Higgins netted the only goal of the game to help Blantyre Vics overcome Largs while another giant killing act occurred down in Irvine where Calo Scaramuzza and Eddie Ablohr goals saw Irvine Vics beat Newtongrange Star 2-1.

Veteran midfielder James McKinstry netted a hat-trick as Vale of Clyde cruised to an 8-0 victory over Sunnybank and Glasgow Perthshire were 1-0 winners up at Ellon United thanks to a Ryan Gemmell score while Jamie McKenna (3), Graeme McLement and Johnny McCilp were on target in Port Glasgow’s 5-0 drubbing of Whitehills.

Striking ace Adam Forde helped himself to four goals in Kilbirnie Ladeside’s 6-0 thrashing of Banchory St Ternan and Irvine Meadow had s Ben Carson and Andy Cripps to thank for a 2-0 defeat of Lesmahagow while Liam Caddis and Darren Miller were the marksmen as Ardrossan Winton Rovers beat Dundonald Blubelll 2-0.

And rightfully gleeful at earning a second bite at the cherry are Bellshill Athletic after battling their way to a 3-3 draw against East Region big guns Bo’ness United through goals from Declan Brown and Kyle Robertson(2).

WEEKEND RESULTS: William Hill Scottish Cup. First Round. Turriff Utd 1 Bonnyrigg Rose 1, Girvan 1 Huntly2, Beith 6 Strathspey Thistle 0, Selkirk 0 Linlithgow Rose 3, Keith 0 Banks O’ Dee 1.

EthxEnergy Scottish Junior Cup. First Round

Armadale Thistle 1 Kennoway Star Hearts 3, Wishaw 2 Cumnock 0, Kirriemuir Thistle 4 Easthouses Miners Welfare 0, Whitletts Vics 5 Buckie Rovers 0, Ellon Utd 0 Glasgow Perthshire 1, Newburgh Thistle 0 Sauchie 5, Ardeer Thistle 0 East Kilbride Thistle 1, Buchanhaven Hearts 0 Culter 2, Thornton Hibs 2 Dunbar Utd 2, New Elgin 1 Dundee North End 3, Jeanfield Swifts 3 Lugar Boswell 0, Livingston 7 Cruden Bay ,Pumpherston 3 Kirkaldy YM 0, West Calder Utd 3 Stoneywood Parkvale 0, Vale of Clyde 8 Aberdeen Sunnybank 0, Irvine Vics 2 Newtongrange Star 1, Newburgh 0 Hermes 5, Largs Thistle 0 Blantyre Vics 1, Port Glasgow 5 Whitehills 0, Lochee Utd 2 Hurlford Utd 1, Bo'ness Utd 3 Bellshill Athletic 3, Lesmahagow 0 Irvine Meadow 2, Haddington Utd 1 Troon 0, Dundee East Craigie 1 Bathgate Thistle 3, Broxburn Athletic 3 Glenafton 3, Ardrossan Winton Rovers 2 Dundonald Bluebell 1, Camelon 3 Whitburn 4, St Roch's 0 Kilwinning Rangers 1, Kilbirnie Ladeside 6 Banchor St Ternan 0 ,Arbroath Vics 4 Crossgates Primrose 1.McBookie.com Super Premier Division Auchinleck Talbot 1 Arthurlie 0.

McBookie.com Super First Division.

Shettleston 1 Clydebank 0.

McBookie.com Ayrshire District League. Maybole 2 Annbank Utd 3, Darvel 5 Craigmark 4, Kello Rovers 4 Muirkirk 1.