AUCHINLECK TALBOT boss Tommy Sloan reflected on yesterday’s Hampden Park staged Scottish Junior Cup semi-final draw with a mixture of positivity and caution after the Ayrshiremen were landed with a two-legged head-to-head against long-standing rivals Linlithgow Rose next month.

The prize on offer is a place in this season’s final against either Glenafton or Bonnyrigg Rose who were pitted against each other in the other half of the draw, however the seasoned Sloan refused to look any further ahead than his side’s last-four clash.

“I’d have to say this has all the makings of an extremely tough tie, no doubt about it,” insisted the Bot gaffer. “But I’d have been saying the exact same thing regardless of whom we were drawn against because nobody can deny that all four teams are through to this stage on merit.

“There was never going to be a scenario where we’d be jumping for joy but I’d imagine all the teams are in the same boat.”

There’s certainly no lack of cup history between the teams as current Clyde striker David Gormley netted the only goal of the game to help Talbot to a memorable 2013 Cup Final triumph over the East Region giants who were themselves winners by the same scoreline in 2002 when Jimmy Creaney's name was on the scoresheet.

And further back in time, Linlithgow boast the distinction of being the team that ended the Willie Knox steered Talbot’s hopes of racking up four Scottish Junior Cup wins on the spin with a fifth round victory at Beechwood Park.

Tucker added: “Linlithgow’s league form points to them being the weakest of the semi-finalists but the Scottish Cup is a competition in which they have a great tradition and that makes them difficult opponents in my book.

“I’ve no doubt the cup brings out the best in them and you only have to look back at their 7-0 victory in the quarter-finals which is unusual to say the least even if they were facing lower league opposition in Gartcairn.

“I don’t know a great deal about their playing squad other than the striking pair of Kevin Kelbie and Tommy Coyne, however if their remaining players are of a similar quality then we will need to be at our best to stand a chance of getting through.

“The opportunity to test ourselves against the likes of Linlithgow will have my players looking forward to the matches and if they can’t get themselves up for those occasions then they never will.”

Bookmakers casting Glenafton as the underdogs against last season’s East Region kingpins Bonnyrigg Rose is to the liking of Glens boss Craig McEwan who revealed he was present at Hampden Park when SFA chief executive Stewart Regan and performance director Malky McKay pulled the names from the hat.

Southy said: “I happened to be in the area and was too excited to pass up the opportunity to learn our fate first hand.

“It was great to be there while the draw went ahead and afterwards I was able to get in touch with Bonnyrigg manager Robbie Horne who like myself is keen on having the two games played on the respective Saturdays.

“We’ll do our homework on them but I’m under no illusions and neither are my players that we are facing a very powerful side sprinkled with talented players.”

The former defender who played in the Glenafton side that beat Camelon in a 2014 cup semi-final only to lose out to Hurlford United in the final is relishing the prospect of another showpiece occasion.

He reasoned: “Bonnyrigg ran out 5-1 winners when we met in a shortened pre-season contest in our Joe Meldrum Competition so it’s understandable if their tails are up at landing ourselves rather than say Talbot.

“But very few of our current playing squad took part that day and nothing should be read into the result but it suits me fine if we are written off.

“My players have achieved nothing yet and I’m not going to be caught making rash predictions on their behalf but if we turn up and bring our A game to both semi-finals then Bonnyrigg will have to play some to beat us.”