Gartcairn and Petershill have surely emerged as the poster boys for clubs aspiring to punch above their weight after chalking up resounding Scottish Junior Cup wins on Saturday.

The Cairn’s 6-0 thrashing of top flight opponents Beith was every bit as comfortable as it was surprising while the Peasy put another Premier League side, Benburb, to the sword by a 3-0 scoreline (that could easily have been more) through in Springburn.

The manner of his side’s ninth straight victory on the spin had Petershill team boss Martin Lauchlan purring afterwards.

He said: “A whole new group of players started out this season and stuttered to begin with but now we’ve become a team and I’m enjoying being the manager here more than any other time since coming to this club.

“All our hard work on the training ground is paying dividends and no more so than today when so many things we worked on during the past week as a result of doing our homework on Benburb paid off in spades.

“They are a physically tough side with a liking for playing the ball long so we set our stall out to sit deeper than normal and deploy our superb fitness levels to hit on the break and nobody can deny the guys played our game plan to perfection.

“Everyone played their part, including our substitutes ,in serving up a brilliant all-round performance that could and probably  should have been rewarded with a few more goals.”

Putting it to Locky that his well-balanced Petershill had looked more of a Premier League side than the Bens brought him to respond: “That’s one for others to judge rather than myself but I’m just delighted with what our players have been regularly producing of late though it’s still disappointing to think of the points dropped early doors which has left us trailing behind in the league title race.”

There was little in the way of goalmouth action during the early exchanges though Petershill were undoubtedly the team on the front foot helped by the work-rate and energy of diminutive striker Ronan Sweeney whose reward arrived in 15 minutes with the game’s opening goal.

Not for the game’s last time, full back Jack Breslin pushed forward down the flank, to send over a driven cross that former East Stirling signing Sweeney acrobatically turned past visiting goalkeeper Danny McLean for 1-0.

Petershill continuing to turn the screw brought a second score for them and Sweeney nearing half time after a swift break out of defence by full back Jordan Scott led to him squaring the ball for his striking team mate to net a 15th goal of the season.

Any thoughts of Petershill sitting back to protect their 2-0 interval lead were blown away just five minutes after the restart when Sweeney’s not to be outdone forward line partner Stephen Docherty turned inside a defensive marker to fire home a low drilled left foot shot …also for his 15th counter of the season to date.

A near identical Docherty effort came close to boosting his goals total but slid the wrong side of McLean’s upright and the Bens No 1 continued to be the busier of the two keepers though Govan supporters may wonder what might have been had a terrific 20 yard shot from their side’s best player on the day …17 year old Reegan Aitken found the target just after the hour mark instead of rattling the crossbar.

The teenager did have the ball in the net in 80 minutes only to be adjudged offside and shortly afterwards full back team mate David Leadbetter blasted a 22 yard free kick against the bar however Benburb never really posed a genuine attacking threat for all their huffing and puffing.

Their emphatic defeat was déjà vu all over again for the Bens following on from  last weekend’s 5-1 hammering by Arthurlie which assistant boss Marty Campbell touched upon when summing up afterwards.

He insisted: “ It looked right from the first whistle today that Petershill knew they were playing a Scottish Cup tie while we didn’t.

“Everything about us was flat and the lessons from last Saturday had clearly not been learned because yet again we failed to show the same hunger, desire and sheer will to win as the lower league side  and got our come-uppance.

“Young Reegan was our only positive out there because he showed a willingness to carry the fight to Petershill when so many of his more experienced team mates appeared to just accept their fate.”

Scott Stevenson, Ross McNeil(2), Josh Gracie, David Sinclair and Liam Craig were the marksmen in Gartcairn’s sensational  victory over Beith while another  stunning  outcome was secured by Rob Roy away to a fancied Carnoustie Panmure side  ,leading 3-2 heading into the closing stages up on Tayside until Rabs pair Michael Beber and Luke Kelly netted in injury time to chalk up a 4-3 triumph.

Irvine Meadow ace Michael Wardrope bagged a hat trick for the second successive Saturday to go along with Connor Boyd and Jamie Martin strikes in the Ayrshiremen’s 5-2 defeat of Cumbernauld United whose scores came from Kieran Boubekri and Martin Finlay(o.g.) while another all-Premier League clash went the way of Largs Thistle by virtue of a 4-2 penalty kicks shoot out win against Cumnock following a 1-1 regulation time draw.

Their greater proficiency from 12 yards also helped Ashfield away to Vale of Leven who had looked likely Millburn Park winners after recovering from falling behind to a John Barr goal for the Possil outfit to  be 2-1 up through counters from Martin Connolly and Antony Pilkington only for Ashfield to grab a late in the day an equaliser through Brian Hepburn and get through on a 4-2 spot kicks conclusion.

In other ties , freescoring Arthurlie had Gary Carroll(2), Dale Simeon(2), Tam McGaughey and Gary Smith on the mark in a 6-1 battering of Glasgow Perthshire for whom Paul Brennan netted a consolation score while a brace of Conor McDonald goals and a Shaun Gallagher effort enabled Yoker Athletic to run out 3-1 winners over East Kilbride Thistle .

The weekend outcomes have left the Fourth Round draw (made on Friday afternoon ) looking as follows

                     Petershill v Lochee Utd/Banks O’Dee

                     Gartcairn v Arghurlie

                     Largs Thistle v Dundee North End

                     Muirkirk v Dyce

                     Craigmark/Auchinleck Talbot v Irvine Meadow     

                     Shotts Bon Accord v Rossvale

                     Yoker Awhile Pollok thletic v Ashfield        

                     Johnstone Burgh v Rob Roy.

Meanwhile, there was no shortage of crucial WoSFL encounters taking place, most notably in the Conference Leagues where C Division frontrunners Drumchapel United dealt a hammer blow to the title hopes of St Rochs with a  5-3 victory that retained the Drum’s 5 points lead over Neilston, 1-0 winners at home to Wishaw thanks to a Connor Bulger goal.

The top of the table B Division clash of St Cadocs v Cambuslang Rangers went the way of the Lang for whom Scott Anson and Jay Nelson were on target to open up a four point gap on their Newton Mearns rivals.

And newly atop the Premier League pile are Pollok after goals from Stuart McCann and Callum Graham clinched a hard fought 2-1 Newlandsfield win over Troon whose counter arrived from a Stevie Wilson penalty kick.

Congratulations are also in order for Ayrshire big guns Auchinleck and Darvel, proudly flying the flag for WoSFL clubs after posting Scottish Cup proper victories over Preston Athletic and Stranraer respectively and there is every likelihood of this Third Round representation being further boosted tonight if Clydebank can overcome Elgin City.

RESULTS: (Kick Offs 2PM unless stated): Scottish Cup 3rd Round (3PM).Preston Athletic 0 Auchinleck Talbot 2, Stranraer 0 Darvel 1. Scottish Junior Cup 3rd Round.Glasgow Perthshire 1 Arthurlie 6,Yoker Athletic 3 East Kilbride Thistle 1,Muirkirk 2 Ardrossan Winton Rovers1,Dyce 4 West Calder Utd 2, Vale Of Leven 2 Ashfield 2 (Ashfield win 4-2 pens),Shotts Bon Accord 1  Thorniewood Utd 0, Carnoustie Panmure 3 Rob Roy 4,Gartcairn 6  Beith 0,Dundee East Craigie 1  Johnstone Burgh 1 (Burgh win 5-4 pens),Newmacher Utd 0 Dundee North End 2,Petershill 3 Benburb 0, Irvine Meadow 5 Cumbernauld Utd 2, Cumnock 1 Largs Thistle 1 (Largs win 4-2 pens).

P.D.M Buildbase Premier League.Glenafton 1 Rossvale 2, Bonnyton Thistle 0 Hurlford Utd 3,  Blantyre Vics 0 Rutherglen Glencairn 3, Kilwinning Rangers 2 Kilbirnie Ladeside 0,Pollok 2 Troon 1.PDM Buildbase Conference League A.Maybole 3 Bellshill Athletic1, Whitletts Vics 6  Irvine Vics 1,Girvan 1 Glasgow University 2, Lugar Boswell 1 Forth Wanderers 1, Lesmahagow 3 Maryhill 1. PDM Buildbase Conference League B. St Cadocs 0 Cambuslang Rangers 2, Newmains Utd 2 Dalry Thistle 1, Royal Albert 0 Renfrew 1, Carluke Rovers 2 Port Glasgow 2, Ardeer Thistle 2 Greenock 3.PDM Buildbase Conference League C. Kilsyth Rangers 2 St Anthonys 1, Neilston 1 Wishaw 0, Drumchapel Utd 5 St Rochs 3, Larkhall Thistle 1 Lanark Utd 0.PDM Buildbase Division Four. Harmony Row 5 Glenvale 1, St Peters 3 Campbeltown Pupils 2, Harthill Royal 3 Finnart 2, Kilsyth Athletic 2 BSC Glasgow 0.