Hurlford United's first ever Scottish Junior Cup Final appearance will be an all-Ayrshire showdown against Ayrshire rivals Glenafton.

The last two teams standing earned the right to contest the destination of the coveted silverware on June 1 after hard-fought semi-final triumphs over Irvine Meadow and Camelon respectively.

Hurlford's 3-1 victory on Saturday to overcome Medda by a 4-3 aggregate scoreline was followed 24 hours later by the Glens securing their final spot with a 2-0 defeat of East Region hopefuls Camelon.

There was plenty for Hurlford supporters to be pleased about over their side's historical triumph.

Not least the predatory instincts of top scorer Stewart Kean, whose opportunist hat- trick meant there was only ever going to be one winner when it came to the man-of-the-match award.

The one-time Ayr United and St Mirren striker has been a mainstay of the Ford's attacking armoury this season and he didn't let the side down when it really mattered.

He netted the game's opening goal with a brave front post header before adding another two close-range scores in the final 15 minutes when Medda's defiant defence was standing firm in the face of near constant pressure.

The 31-year-old ace said: "Scoring a hat-trick on an occasion like this really is the stuff fairytales are made of and it's all the more enjoyable when you look around and see what it means to everyone connected with this club.

"A lot of people here today were of the mind that Medda were looking a good bet to hold out for the draw they needed as the second half wore on.

"But the confidence running through this Hurlford team ensured we kept plugging away and thankfully we got our rewards."

Coming into the game 2-1 down from the first leg saw the home team start with an attacking vigour.

And their early aggression led to the game's first yellow card in just five minutes when Stevie Masterton's name went into the book for a trip on Medda winger Gary McCann.

The crucial first score came three minutes later when a whipped Masterton corner kick saw Kean bravely put his head in to divert the ball home and level the aggregate at 2-2.

Hardly had the celebrations died down when Hurlford suffered a massive blow as cornerstone defender Neil McGregor limped off with what appeared to be a hamstring pull to be replaced by Ewan Blair who was still finding his feet when Irvine Meadow levelled matters from a penalty sparked by United skipper Paul Cameron bringing down Shaun Fraser as he raced onto a headed flick.

Cameron's name went into the book as somewhat significantly did visiting midfielder Darren Miller after whistler Gavin Ross took exception to his celebrations in front of a seething mass of jubilant Irvine supporters after netting with aplomb from the spot.

After the break, Hurlford used the slight breeze in their favour to rain crosses into the Medda penalty box.

That persistent bout of pressure brought three corner kicks in quick succession and saw Kean rise to bundle home Masterton's third superbly struck delivery to again level the aggregate scores in 76 minutes.

Then, with the prospect of penalty kicks looming, he was again on the spot when a Ross Robertson shot came back off Hall, allowing Kean to deftly lift the ball high into the net and turn Blair Park into a sea of red and white.

A deflated Meadow went for broke over the closing stages, however they left themselves open to getting caught with players facing risky tackles.

That resulted in the outstanding Staunton and goalscorer Miller being despatched for picking up their second yellow cards of the afternoon.

Losing gaffer Stevie Rankin was magnanimous in defeat, saying: "I'm so disappointed for my players and the many supporters who turned out to cheer us on. It's a massive blow but good luck to Hurlford. I hope they go on to win the cup."

Hurlford boss Henderson revealed: "We didn't play as well as we did in the first game, but nobody can deny my players did enough to get into the final. One or two Medda players were baiting them in saying their legs were gone, but if anything we got stronger the longer the game went on."

In the other semi, Glenafton were likewise trailing 2-1 going into their Loch Park contest, but a first-half goal from highly-rated midfielder Cameron Marlow settled nerves and set the scene for a pulsating second period.

And it was former Meadow signing Finlay Frye who netted the decisive second goal to clinch a 3-2 aggregate win for Tommy Bryce's men.