Beith Juniors are the pride of Ayrshire today after making it through to their first ever Scottish Junior Cup Final - and a face-off with either three-time winners Pollok or 2014 heroes Hurlford United.

A resolute defensive display from the Mighty - they were 3-0 ahead from last week’s first game - ensured there was to be no Abbey Park miracle for semi-final opponents Kilwinning Rangers.

The Buffs laid siege to the visiting goal but were unable to add to Ross Stewart’s 50th-minute headed goal and succumbed to a 3-1 aggregate defeat.

Meanwhile, the Blair Park head-to-head of Hurlford and Pollok had the look and feel of a heavyweight contest from the first blast of referee Craig Napier’s whistle and one sensed the outcome was never going to be decided over this initial 90 minutes.

A 0-0 stalemate would appear to shorten the odds on the Glasgow outfit.

However, home advantage is no guarantee of a final place and Tony McInally’s men are unlikely to have Alan McKenzie’s strength and pace in their Newlandsfield armoury after he limped off midway through Saturday’s first half with a hamstring injury.

As befitting the home side and with the wind at their backs, Hurlford had displayed a greater urgency than their Super Premier Division rivals over the early stages.

Yet such was the tenacity, discipline and organisation shown by Pollok’s backline that it took all off 31 minutes before goalkeeper Jordan Longmuir was seriously tested in diving full length to hold Danny Mitchell’s low drive.

It’s often said cup games tilt on fine margins and this was never better exemplified approaching the interval when Longmuir’s brilliant stop to keep out a Richie McKillen header was followed by him parrying away a Stewart Kean snapshot and a rush off his line to thwart Ford striker Ross Robertson as he raced onto a through ball.

“We didn’t do certain things as well as we should and had allowed Hurlford to boss us “ said Lok team boss McInally afterwards .

“But feeding a quicker ball through to our strikers gave us a platform from which to play higher up the pitch but at the same time I wanted us to continue stifling whatever Hurlford threw at us and that's how it panned out.”

Macca’s half-time pep talk had the effect of Pollok being far less docile in an attacking sense and it was soon noticeable that engine room pair Colin Williamson and Finlay Frye were picking up a greater share of “second balls” and exerting a territorial dominance that had Hurlford looking far less dangerous when limited to playing on the break.

Yet a Davie Winters shot from the edge of the box into shotstopper Ally Brown’s midriff was the sum of Pollok’s goal threat as the Ayrshiremen showed their own defensive steel and Hurlford rallied over the closing stages to come within inches of a late score when Davie McLune’s free kick evaded Longmuir’s clutches but also slipped past the upright.

Ford boss Darren Henderson came across as anything but disappointed when giving his summations on events.

He said: "We haven’t played competitively for over a month so I’m proud as punch of the effort and desire shown by my players and I’d like to think we will be all the better for the blow-out come next Saturday.

“There was only one team looking to win the match out there but fair play to Tony and his players as they came here and sat in which asked questions of us that we couldn’t answer given that today is the first time we have failed to score in a match this season.

“But the onus is now on Pollok to come out and have a go at us in front of their own supporters and we have the players to exploit the spaces.

“Both teams have a lot more to offer than we showed today and next week cannot come soon enough.”

Pollok supporter’s dreams of a cup and league double remain very much alive even though the Southside giants relinquished their leadership of the Super Premier Division standings after Troon staged a remarkable second-half recovery to go top with a 6-2 hammering of Irvine Meadow for whom Michael Keenan and Paul Maxwell scores had earned a 2-0 interval lead.

Top scorer Adam Forsyth hit a brace of goals to go along with Chris McKnight, Gavin Collins, Martin Ure and Scott Chatham counters as Troon hit their opponents for six and they now lead by two points over reigning champions Auchinleck Talbot who themselves ceded up a two goal advantage to draw 2-2 at home to Arthurlie.

Keir Milliken and Graham Wilson scores appeared to have secured the points but Ryan McGregor and Craig Young netted to earn the Barrhead men a share of the spoils.

Glenafton were 2-0 to the good away to Kilbirnie Ladeside until the dismissals of Alan Cairns and David Gray opened the door for a Blasties fightback which culminated in a late Darren Miller goal clinching a 3-2 triumph.

The remaining top flight game between Petershill and Rob Roy ended 1-1 with Ross Barbour’s opener for the Rabs cancelled out by a Jordan Kennedy equaliser.