When the pressure is mounting, when the time has come for action and something special is needed …class usually tells.

And that maybe helps explain to Glasgow Perthshire supporters why it was the players of Junior football’s new kingpins Glenafton and not the team from Possil jubilantly posing for pictures with the Evening Times Champions Cup around teatime on Saturday .

For around 70 minutes at New Tinto Park, an energetic, hungry and nothing–to-lose Shire had given the Ayrshire big guns a bit of a fright - if not several heart-stopping scares - only to perpetually come up short in that ever crucial and deciding final third of the pitch.

The New Cumnock outfit were stoutly defending the 1-0 lead earned by a wonder free-kick counter from dead-ball expert David Gray in just three minutes.

However, one always felt another goal was needed and it arrived when a wonderfully ambitious run upfield in 72 minutes by the best player afield, Glens captain and defensive cornerstone Craig Menzies, ended with him serving one up on a plate for Cammy Marlow.

From that moment onwards, Glenafton stopped looking worried and found a spring in their own step which could and should have brought further scores as they cruised to the final whistle and became the third Ayrshire side to hold aloft the historic Evening Times silverware.

Winning gaffer Craig McEwan was all smiles after the trophy presentation, hugging his backroom staff and all his players, as a way of saying thanks for their efforts in clinching a marvellous trophy treble that ensures this Glenafton team go into the history books as the most successful ever.

Southy admitted: "I’m happy now but I went absolute nuts at the guys during the half-time interval for what had been a sloppy and way below par display.

“We knew what to expect from this very decent Glasgow Perthshire side and had warned our guys to be up for a tough contest, but they have simply stopped playing after getting away to a dream start with David’s superb strike .

“Call it complacency, call it over-confidence, but I call it not good enough and had to get that message across.

“Thankfully, we came good in the end and to have this third trophy in the cabinet wraps up what has been a marvellous season for everyone connected with this club.”

The Shire made the worst possible start to their first Evening Times Final in 40 years when a foul on Glens frontman Joe Andrew just outside the penalty area brought a free kick award that one-time Kilmarnock and Dumbarton signing Gray sublimely curled home to leave goalkeeper Chris Calder clutching thin air.

As is so often the way, Glenafton continued to dominate against their shell-shocked opponents and almost doubled their advantage.

First, Marlow shot wide from 18 yards and then Daniel Orsi let rip from further out only for his netbound efforts to be parried away by the diving Calder.

The harrying and closing down work of Perthshire’s midfield along with the no-nonsense solidity provided by centre-back pair Mark Thomson and Davie Kirkwood saw the underdogs begin to assert themselves but without troubling Lochhead other than when a Craig Smith drive narrowly flew over his crossbar leading up to half time .

The Ayrshiremen made the early running again on the resumption and Joe Andrew’s deflected shot carried just over.

However, the Shire’s greater work ethic helped regain a territorial dominance that had Possil followers thinking an equaliser was inevitable, but their hopes were blown away with just under 20 minutes left to play.

Menzies winning a tackle inside his own half saw him spring forward with no little pace down the left and he initially looked to have lost the ball to the covering Thomson only to win it back from the Shire defender before cutting across the byeline and laying the ball across to Marlow who netted with a low shot for 2-0.

The plucky Central Second Division outfit went for broke in pushing Thomson into midfield, but could not find a pay-off for a spirited and enterprising performance that totally belied their lower league status.

However, their failure to breach the Glens backline was never better underlined than the sight of Ayrshire goalkeeper Blair Lochhead making his first save of the game in 83 minutes.

Team boss Billy Adams was rightly proud of his players but felt they had shot themselves in the foot when he spoke afterwards.

He said: "The last thing I said to the guys before we left the dressing room was not to give away fouls around the box because of the lad Gray yet three minutes in and we are a goal down.

“And the run-up to Glenafton’s second goal should have seen Thommo put the ball into Row Z, but he’s tried to be clever and their player has got the break of the ball and the second goal took the wind out of our sails.”

His team’s lack of firepower was touched on by the long-serving gaffer in adding: “Having several players ruled out today through a mix of injury and work commitments left us with no substitutes bench of any note and there’s no doubt we badly missed what J.P Craig would have given us in the Glenafton penalty box .

“We might have lost the game, but we were certainly not second best in terms of effort or guts and that’s quite something to say when we have just come up against what is the best team in the Junior game this season.”

Evening Times Man-of-the-Match award recipient Menzies summed up his thoughts in saying:

“I was carrying an injury beforehand and wouldn’t have played out there today but for the fact we had five regulars unavailable for various reasons.

“Part of me is glad I did but making the run for Cammy’s goal was the final straw for my legs and I had to be substituted as I had nothing left to give

“It’s been a long, long season so I’m looking forward to a few weeks rest before it all starts again.”