Pollo linchpin Colin Williamson has never been under any illusions about the way of things in the ETHXenergy Scottish Junior Cup.

If your team is good enough and lucky enough then you get to play in the competition’s latter stages.

And it’s the crowning glory of any player’s season to make it through to the showpiece final itself - and turn out for the winning side

Intelligent playmaker Colin has already experienced that particular euphoria as one of the midfield cornerstones in Shotts Bon Accord’s 2012 shock triumph over Auchinleck Talbot.

And ever since he has been striving - without success it has to be said - to make a return to the biggest stage of them all.

That script was close to being written just a year further down the line when he and his Hannah Park team-mates reached the penultimate stage only to lose out 4-2 on aggregate against Linlithgow Rose.

He said: "To come so near yet so far was a real kick in the teeth not least because Shotts more than matched up with Linlithgow in the first game despite losing 3-1 and everyone felt confident of going through.

"But we let ourselves down by conceding an early goal in the second leg and never recovered.”

This Saturday finds Williamson as one of three former cup medal winners at Pollok - ex-Shotts team-mates Alan McKenzie and Mark Sideserf are the others - preparing to play their third semi-final double-header in five years when taking on Super Premier Division rivals Hurlford United at Blair Park in the first of their clashes over the next couple of weekends.

The 29-year-old, whose age is a contradiction of what has often been said of his accomplished engine room displays this season, is vowing not to repeat the mistakes made against Linlithgow.

He said: "The only definite prediction I’m prepared to make is to say there won’t be much to choose between the teams after 180 minutes of action.

“That tends to be the case nowadays mainly because semi-finals are played over two legs as it causes most teams to opt for safety first tactics and the result is players unwilling to risk making a costly mistake.

“ Shotts were probably guilty of being over-cautious at Linlithgow but this current Pollok side is packed with flair players such as the Winters brothers and Carlo Monti.

"So it’s difficult not to think we can have a real go knowing it’s within our capabilities to beat anyone on our day.

“I’m pretty sure the Hurlford players will be thinking along similar lines given the match-winning qualities of their own star turns Paul “Taz” McKenzie and big Ross Robertson, however my gut feeling is our guys can shade it.”

The self-aware Williamson believes Lok’s wonderful dressing room spirit will help them through their trip into Ayrshire .

He added: "I was made to feel at home from the moment I walked into Newlandsfield for pre-season training and the togetherness that has evolved ever since with Tony McInally adding to the squad as he chooses has undoubtedly given us an extra belief and seen the team go from strength to strength..

“It was never more evident than when we travelled East in the fifth round and came away 5-0 winners against a Bonnyrigg Rose side that were strongly fancied to turn us over and go all the way themselves.

“Unfortunately, they came up against a Pollok side that raised their game to a new level and I truly believe few if any Junior teams would have lived with us that day .”

Word on the Newlandsfield playing front has everyone fit and raring to go following two idle weekends that Williamson reckons was not the ideal preparation going into a Junior Cup semi-final .

He said: "It would have been better to fit in some competitive action to keep everyone on their toes but at least Hurlford haven’t stolen an advantage in this respect after their last two outings were postponed .

“A couple of cracking cup ties are in prospect and our previous league meetings indicate penalty kicks might be needed to separate us when you think Hurlford needed a last minute goal to win 2-1 at their place and were then fortunate to escape with a 1-1 draw at Newlandsfield.

“Carlo wasn’t a signed Pollok player for those games and he might just be the ace up our sleeve that might make the difference to tilt the balance in our favour.

"But that’s that’s only if he gets the nod to start because we have other match-winners as we proved in beating Kilbirnie Ladeside in the quarter-finals without him .”

Hurlford have been something of a bogey team to Williamson as he has never featured in a winning side against them during his Junior stints with East Kilbride Thistle, Shotts, Cumnock and now Pollok .

He said: "That’s not altogether surprising when you consider Hurlford have been one of the top Super Premier clubs over the past few years and I remember being 4-1 up playing for Cumnock yet having to settle for a 4-4 draw.

"But I respect them rather than fear them and playing in this Pollok side gives me a great chance to extract some revenge.”