Bullish Petershill co-manager Scott Smith is backing his deflated players to show their resolve after being dumped out of the Emirates Junior Cup by a ruthless Auchinleck.

It is almost unthinkable that a team which has conceded only six goals in the Super Premier Division all season could crash to a 7-0 defeat while on away cup duty.

But in truth the deficit could have been double that as clinical Talbot swarmed all over their opponents in the closing stages.

Visiting goalkeeper Mikey White, following an untypical fumble which resulted in the game's opener, redeemed himself with a one-handed save from a Dwayne Hyslop penalty kick as well as a host of superb diving stops.

But despite hurting badly from their side's emphatic defeat, co-gaffers Smith and Patterson remain in positive mood.

Smith said: "The guys are gutted as you might expect after being on the wrong end of such a horrible result but they'll be fine.

"Auchinleck scored five times after the break and there could well have been a few more as the entire 45 minutes was played between our goal and the halfway line. But for us the game was lost in the first half.

"We started the game well but then had a key decision go against us when Auchinleck defender Craig Pettigrew was caught in possession by Paul Woods.

"Paul was clean through on goal only for the referee to bring play back for a foul that only he saw.

"Even the Talbot fans in the terracings behind our dugout felt that was a lucky break and within minutes we were a goal down."

Petershill had started the better of the two teams and it was against the run of play in 25 minutes when James Latta poked Auchinleck ahead.

But the game-changing moment came in the 41st minute as Talbot ace David Gormley capitalised on a mistake to go through on goal only for Ross McCabe to tug him down in the box. He received a red for his trouble and Gordon Pope netting with from the spot.

Gormley then headed home a Steven White cross in 49 minutes before substitute Hyslop fired home a crisp shot to make it 4-0 just after the hour.

Hyslop, McCann and Wilson completed the rout that had one of Auchinleck star Colin Spence beaming at the final whistle.

Spenny said: "Once we were in front I thought there was only going to be one winner.

"They are a decent side so the red cards (Stevie O'Keane was also dismissed) helped in making it a bit of a freak scoreline. However, you would have to say our finishing was clinical at times."

A battling Shettleston showed how to carve out a result down in Ayrshire after a more than creditable 2-2 draw with Irvine Meadow.

Hugh Kelly's young side looked dead and buried after Willie Kinniburgh and Liam McGuinness put the hosts ahead.

But a grandstand finale saw Town striker Gary Smith net twice, his second coming from the spot following an ugly melee in which Medda defender Neil McGowan and visiting midfielder Liam McLean were sent packing after a bust-up.

In the only two other fourth round ties to go ahead, Yoker full-back John Harvey got his marching orders in a 2-0 Holm Park defeat by Camelon, while home advantage did not help Arthurlie's cause in a 4-2 Dunterlie reverse against East Region cracks Linlithgow Rose.

The hosts had gone in at the interval tied at 1-1 with Colin Strickland's opener for Rose cancelled out by an Alan Muir free-kick.

But the visitors put the game out of sight with three quickfire strikes after the restart from Roddy McLennan (2) and Billy Gibson prior to Lie midfielder Ryan McGregor netting to put a better complexion on the scoreline.