POLLOK danced rings round Greenock at Somervell Park last night to clinch the final Junior trophy prize of the West Region season.

And nobody looked better out on the dancefloor than wing wizard Derek Hepburn who helped himself to a hat- trick of goals as the Super Premier Division outfit annihilated their lower league opponents by a 7-1 scoreline to take the Euroscot Eng Central League Cup honours.

There was little indication of the one-sided sequence of events to come as Greenock showed no fear in taking the game to Pollok during the opening exchanges with Kenny Munro and Reece Williamson demonstrating a willingness to chase after any passes into the forward areas.

Slowly but surely Pollok asserted a foothold in the midfield and it was no real surprise when they got their noses in front after 16 minutes albeit their score was down to a blunder from Greenock full-back Corrie Hughes whose short passback allowed speedy Lok forward Hepburn to slide in and rob goalkeeper Ryan McWilliams prior to passing the ball into the empty net.

Understandably buoyed by their early strike, Pollok came close to doubling their advantage just minutes later when Robbie Winters laid the ball into the path of brother David whose shot sailed high over.

However, a second score was only delayed until the 21st minute when some scintillating wing skills from Hepburn carried the ex-Vale of Clyde starlet into space from where he delivered an exquisite cross that Robbie Winters headed back and across the helpless McWilliams for 2-0.

A now rampant Pollok added a third goal on the half-hour mark as Finlay Frye’s persistence saw him play in Heppy for a shot parried by the beleaguered Greenock No.1 but only into the path of the following up Frye who netted with consummate ease.

Greenock’s early confidence was being sapped out of them by the minute and more so after they conceded a fourth goal to Davie Winters whose turn and shot into the far corner of the net following some fine lead up play from brother Robbie saw Pollok go in at the interval 4-0 to the good and with the Euroscot Eng silverware as good as in their hands .

Nock boss Stevie Mooney said afterwards: “We got a bit of a lesson and no mistake as their front players pulled us apart particularly the young lad Hepburn whose ability to run in behind defenders caused us no end of problems.

“Our game plan was to get in the Pollok players’ faces and that never happened which is disappointing but all we can do now is take our defeat on the chin and start preparing for next season.”

The second period followed the pattern of the first with Hepburn putting Pollok 5-0 to the good from a David Winters pass prior to Greenock substitute David McNeil giving his club’s supporters a rare moment of cheer when he pounced on a blunder from Lok goalkeeper Ryan Ward to peg the score back to 5-1.

Another substitute, Liam Rowan of Pollok netted a sixth goal and a wonderful performance from Hepburn was capped when he netted the game’s final goal in injury-time to put a treble seal on his first-ever trophy win in the Juniors.

After picking up his richly deserved Man of the Match award from the sponsors, 22-year-old Heppy admitted: “I have won a league title with Vale of Clyde but this is my first cup win and I only hope there are many more to come as I thoroughly enjoyed tonight’s occasion..”

Delighted Pollok gaffer Tony McInally emerged to say: “Derek was fabulous tonight and it’s encouraging to see how his overall game has come on in leaps and bounds playing alongside the Winters brothers.

“Another player worthy of mention tonight is Finlay Frye whose job for the team is often overlooked but I felt he ran the midfield from start to finish.

“In fairness, we had no failures out there and that’s why the silverware is coming back to Newlandsfield.”

PLAYED LAST NIGHT

Euroscot Eng Central League Cup Final: Pollok 7 Greenock 1.