THE Citylink Scottish Cup semi-final draw has raised hopes of a first all-West Region final in more than a decade.

Bookmakers reacted to Pollok and Cumnock avoiding each other in the pairings by immediately installing the Super Premier rivals as overwhelming favourites to make it through and battle it out for the silverware on Sunday, June 1.

Indeed, the Campbell Money-steered Ayrshiremen were quoted at a staggering 6/1 ON after being pitted against rank outsiders Thornton Hibs, while Pollok were also short priced at 2/1 ON to get the better of Bathgate Thistle, beaten finalists in 2006.

Experienced striker Paul McGrillen, whose goal clinched the East Region side's 1-0 quarter-final replay victory over Clydebank, admitted that he and his team-mates would have preferred to steer clear of the cup favourites.

"Our dressing room has always felt it would be necessary to beat Pollok at some stage if we wanted to get our hands on the trophy but, ideally, we would like to have kept them for the Final itself.

"It's not to be, however, and no doubts they will now be strongly fancied to turn us over, but I'd like to think we are capable of running them close over 90 minutes.

"Rab Sneddon has put together an exceptionally strong playing squad, packed full of inter-nationalists and, from middle to front, they are arguably the best doing the rounds.

"Their main dangermen are most definitely the forward line pairing of Robert Downs and my former Bellshill team-mate Bryan Dingwall, who are a quite exceptional combination, with Dingy rightly rated as the most lethal finisher at Junior level through regularly knocking in 30 goals per season."

Mowgli, now 36, is hoping the Citylink Cup showdown will be third time lucky for him after revealing he has finished on the losing side in two previous outings against the Newlandsfield cracks.

He admitted: "Pollok have definitely been the kingpins through West in recent years and have proved a tough nut to crack for more than myself.

"But we have big-game players who will relish the prospect of going up against them and nobody should be writing us off just yet.

"It really is shaping up as the Final at the semi-final stage, and I can see our game turning out to be a tremendous advert for Junior football."

Freshly clued up on what awaits the Lok is experienced front man Downs after he took in Bathgate's weekend win over Clydebank.

He said: "Bathgate are in the semis on merit and anything less than our best will not be good enough to get through.

"It was going to be tough whoever we were drawn against, but they looked a really strong cup team at Clydebank, solid defensively and with McGrillen and Chris McFadyean a real menace going forward."

The ties will be played on the weekends of April 11 and 18 at venues yet to be decided.

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Put your Money on this being a toughie

CUMNOCK boss Campbell Money today sounded a word of caution ahead of his team's last-four confron-tation with Fife minnows Thornton.

Money, whose side dumped Auchinleck to clinch a place in the semi-finals, said: "Thornton have proved they are nobody's mugs by already knocking out Peters-hill, Maybole and Glenafton. It's ludicrous to say we're as good as in the Final without kicking a ball in anger."

Nock's defensive lynchpin Stuart McDonald has been called into the Scotland XI to face Auchinleck on Sunday in a testimonial for long-serving goalkeeper Stuart McIntosh (2pm). Scots boss Keith Burgess has also added Camelon front man James Lister as he looks to finalise his squad for next month's Umbro Quad- rangular Tournament in the Isle of Man.