THIS season marking the 60th anniversary of Petershill last getting their hands on the Scottish Junior Cup with a 4-1 Hampden Park triumph over Lugar Boswell has sparked a belief among Springburn diehards that their famous old Glasgow club could be on the verge of yet again getting their hands on the game’s biggest silverware prize.

Indifferent league form suggest otherwise - just one win in seven starts - however Peasy fans might not be harbouring such a fanciful notion after all given the impressive manner of Saturday’s 1-0 ETHX Energy Third Round victory over Musselburgh Athletic.

A swashbuckling and sweeping-aside display was never on the cards against this formidable East Region outfit, beaten Cup finalists from last time out and currently sitting joint top of their Superleague standings, however few if any among the terracing onlookers could begrudge Willie Patterson’s men their success on the day.

Tactically setting out the Peasy stall to be defensively tight and highly combative worked a treat in reducing the attacking effectiveness of visitors who can claim to be the highest-scoring team among the East elite.

The jubilant Peasy gaffer admitted afterwards: "Reports back from watching Musselburgh in action indicated they were an attack minded football playing side so we wanted to upset their rhythm and put them on the back foot as much as possible.

“And other than an initial opening spell when our players looked a bit nervy and stood off their opponents, I thought we dominated for long spells territorially and fully deserved to come out on top.

“I was pleased with a lot of our stuff out there today and hopefully we can derive a big boost to confidence from our showing.”

Musselburgh indeed started the better of the two sides and almost went 1-0 ahead inside three minutes when Peasy centre-back Fraser Chisholm sent a headed passback beyond advancing goalkeeper Stevie McNeil that looked a certain score until Chisholm redeemed himself by racing back to clear the ball off the line.

And the defensive stalwart again came to his team’s rescue when his backtracking enabled him to make a saving tackle after Mussy striker Sean Jamieson was allowed to run through on goal despite looking at least a couple of yards offside.

Petershill front man Michael Daly’s ability to win aerial challenges was proving a thorn in the flesh for the visiting backline particularly on those occasions when forward line partner Chris Craig was able to get on the end of flicks and he twice came close to netting the game’s opening goal approaching half-time.

The dangerous Daly headed just over the crossbar minutes into the restart before putting Petershill ahead on the hour mark with a goal of consummate ease as he rose totally unmarked at the back post to meet a Craig corner kick and send a header beyond helpless goalkeeper John Dodds.

The Mussy No 1 then produced a brave stop to prevent Peter Bradley doubling the advantage of a Petershill side who were themselves grateful for skipper McNeil diving full length to magnificently keep out a goal bound shot from visiting midfielder Kevin Bracks.

And an even closer shave for anxious Peasy supporters – desperate for the final whistle to sound - arrived in injury-time when a 22-yard Steven Thomson free-kick was finger-tipped by the diving McNeil’s outstretched hands onto the upright before being scrambled clear.

Nobody breathed a greater sigh of relief than match-winner Daly who said: “It would have been a travesty had we conceded a late equaliser after playing so well and I’m so happy for Stevie McNeil keeping a clean sheet and for his handling of cross balls because he had come in for a bit of unfair criticism recently.

“It’s also a great result for the management team Willie and Paul Kelly whose preparations for the tie were nothing short of excellent and they got their team selection spot on by switching to a 4-4-2 formation.”

The former Clyde signing revealed why he was left in acres of space to net the only goal of the game.

He added ,”I’ve been tightly marked by the Musselburgh number 6 at set pieces throughout the game so on this occasion I’ve feinted to go front post and he’s moved forward at the same time as I’ve wheeled around to go to the back and fortunately Chrissy’s cross has eluded everyone to give me a free header.”

Pollok eased into the last 32 thanks to goals from Alan McKenzie, David Winters, Stevie Higgins and Chris Walker bringing a 4-1 triumph over Royal Albert and the same scoreline ensued for Arthurlie at home to Dunipace with Ryan McGregor, Chris Dallas and Gary Smith (2) on the mark as well as for Renfrew whose marksmen against Dundee East Craigie were Marc McDaid (2), Alan Kinney and Gary McGarroch.

Stewart Kean (2), Ross Robertson and Ryan Donnelly counted in Hurlford’s 4-1 win at home to Falkirk Juniors while Irvine Meadow were the day’s top scorers in overcoming Blackburn United 6-1 through scores from Gary McCann(2), Ryan Deas (2) and Archie McPherson (2).

Also in Ayrshire came a hat trick of comeback victories, most notably at Portland Park where Troon looked like exiting to a Michael Gemmell first half goal for Bo’ness United until a dramatic finale saw United midfielder Ian Nimmo red carded prior to Morgan Brown levelling the scores and Chris McKnight smashing home an injury time free kick to clinch a 2-1 win.

Kilwinning Rangers also did things the hard way in fighting back from 1-0 down at home to Sauchie with Barry Fletting and Ben Lewis strikes while Cumnock were twice behind against Dundonald Bluebell but levelled on each occasion through Ross McNeil and Kieron Wood to set the scene for Aiden Malone’s matchwinning effort.

And a special mention is deserved for free-scoring Rossvale for whom Jay Mackay, Fraser Team (2) Chris McQuade and Alex Cassells were on target in running out 5-0 winners away to Lanark United.

SATURDAY'S RESULTS

ETHX Energy Scottish Junior Cup third round: Clydebank 0 Kelty Hearts 1, Dundee North End 2 Carluke Rovers 0, Kilsyth Rangers 1 Camelon 4, Tayport 0 Muirkirk 0, Irvine Meadow 6 Blackburn Utd 1, Kilwinning Rangers 2 Sauchie 1, Arthurlie 4 Dunipace 1, Renfrew 4 Dundee East Craigie 1, Glenrothes 2 Rosyth Juniors 2, Jeanfield Swifts 1 Bonnyrigg Rose 3, Kilbirnie Ladeside 0 Dundee Violet 0, Petershill 1 Musselburgh Athletic 0, Neilston 1 Arniston Rangers 1, Girvan 0 Beith 0, Lanark Utd 0 Rossvale 5, St Roch's 1 Kennoway Star Hearts 1, Linlithgow Rose 5 Cumbernauld Utd 0, Wishaw 1 Armadale Thistle 1, Royal Albert 1 Pollok 4, Bathgate Thistle 1 OakleyUtd 4, Hurlford Utd 4 Falkirk Juniors 1, Troon 2 Bo'ness Utd 1, Cumnock 3 Dundonald Bluebell 2, Athletic, Whitletts Vics 1 Dalkeith Thistle 5.

McBookie.com Super Premier Division: Shettleston 0 Glenafton 2.

McBookie.com Super First Division: Bellshill Athletic 1 Rutherglen Glencairn 3, Greenock 0 Largs Thistle 2, Maybole 1 Blantyre Vics 2.

McBookie.com Central First Division: Johnstone Burgh 3 Larkhall Thistle 2.

McBookie.com Central Second Division: Glasgow Perthshire 1 Port Glasgow 1, Benburb 4 Forth 3.