LINLITHGOW boss Mark Bradley's footballing stock has never been higher.

The former midfielder was not someone to be trifled with (like a certain Tommy Sloan ) as a player with Hearts, Stirling Albion, Berwick Rangers and of course Linlithgow with whom he won the Junior Cup through a 1-0 defeat of Largs Thistle in 2010.

A broken leg severely curtailed his playing influence, however erstwhile Rose boss Davie Baikie persuaded him to help out on the coaching side and he was offered the managerial reins when Baikie was ousted.

Bradley brought ex-Airdrie ace Marvyn Wilson and one-time Partick Thistle and Dunfermline maestro Derek Fleming in as coaches and this experienced backroom team have known nothing but success ever since.

What's not so well known about the 36-year-old, one of the youngest managers around, is that he is Glasgow born and bred and has resided in Garthamlock for as long as he cares to remember.

In keeping with his roots, he had a brief playing spell as a 17-year-old with Ashfield under then (and now) manager John Conlin.

"I must have done something to annoy my Hearts manager Tommy McLean because he farmed me out to Ashfield, where I had lumps kicked out of me for just over three months before I was recalled to Tynecastle," laughed Mark.

"But the experience taught me well because I even survived coming up against Tucker in a game against Stranraer.

"That said, my memory tells me Hearts lost the game and I took another second prize when Tommy and I again met when my Bathgate Thistle team lost to Auchinleck in the 2006 cup final, so hopefully Sunday is going to prove third time lucky for me."

He went on: "There's a nucleus of the Talbot side I came up against still playing today in guys like James Latta, Colin Spence, big Gavin Collins and Bryan Young which explains in part why Talbot are consistently fighting it out for the Scottish honours.

"And if anything Tucker has improved their team since back then so nobody needs to tell me about how difficult a task my players are facing.

"They will look to press us and get in our faces but our players have encountered similar tactics from other sides over the past year without it putting us off our stride and I'm confident they can cope with it again.

"Our preparations are behind us now with our sights are set on Livingston and I don't mind admitting that kick-off time cannot come soon enough."

ROAD TO THE FINAL

Auchinleck Talbot 1st Round: Bye

2nd Round: Dalkeith Thistle (H) 6-1

3rd Round: Newtongrange Star (A) 1-0

4th Round: Petershill (H) 7-0

5th Round: Lochee Utd (A) 3-1

Quarter-final: Kelty Hearts (A) 4-0

Semi-final: Rutherglen Glencairn (H and A) 2-1

Linlithgow Rose

1st Round: Bye

2nd Round: Winton Rovers (A) 9-0

3rd Round: Fauldhouse Utd (H) 3-1

4th Round: Arthurlie (A) 4-2

5th Round: Jeanfield Swifts (H) 3-1

Quarter-final: Bo'ness Utd (H) 4-1

Semi-final: Shotts Bon Accord (H and A) 4-2