AUCHINLECK TALBOT produced a heroic comeback display to beat Hurlford United and book their place in the Dyslexia Scotland Junior Cup final against Musselburgh Athletic.

And it followed an eventful and dramatic semi-final that featured two red cards, a missed penalty - and three goalkeepers - as Talbot clinched their place with a 2-1 home victory for a 5-2 aggregate success.

Thankfully, the sun was shining bright over Beechwood Park because a disappointing opening 45 minutes had done little to raise temperatures among the 1,200-plus crowd.

However, that was all to change at the start of the second period as Hurlford's first attacking thrust saw striker Ross Robertson released through on goal.

The challenge from Talbot keeper Andy Leishman upended Robertson and saw referee Grant Irvine issue the towering No.1with his marching orders and award a penalty to the cup holders.

"I did catch him, but a yellow card should have sufficed seeing as Martin McGoldrick had got back to protect our goal," pleaded the disconsolate shot-stopper, while a debate then ensued between Talbot's outfield players over who should take the gloves.

They did not have a replacement keeper on the bench, so David Gormley ran over for a dugout discussion with gaffer Tommy Sloan, who duly gave his striker the nod of approval.

Tucker said: "Gordon Pope had gone between the posts in a previous instance, but I was loathe to alter our back four, so it was good that David volunteered and I felt he went on to cope superbly with whatever Hurlford threw at him.

Quite an understatement, considering Gormley dived right to magnificently keep out the well-struck spot-kick by Ford hitman Stewart Kean, whose frustration led to him being yellow-carded in trying to wrest the ball away from the celebrating Talbot players.

But he was smiling again when the corner kick was nodded home by Robertson for a 1-0 lead.

Hurlford boss Darren Henderson admitted afterwards: "Playing against ten men when arguably the best goalkeeper in the Juniors is off and his place taken by one of the best strikers in the game left us in a great position with 42 minutes left to play.

"I was screaming at our players for the need to play with cool heads and keep their discipline for the next ten minutes yet, in that time, we went a player down ourselves, conceded a goal and as good as lost the cup-tie.

"The opportunity was there and we just didn't take it, so all we can do now is look to other trophy targets while wishing Auchinleck the best of luck in the final."

The level playing field came about when back-tracking striker Keano's sliding tackle in midfield felled Willie Boyd to earn himself a second yellow and he was hardly indoors before Talbot won a corner and Bryan Young 's inswinging effort caught goalkeeper Ally Brown flapping at thin air as the ball nestled in his net.

The midfielder was buried by celebrating team-mates, with Gormley top of the pile after running upfield, and astonishingly he was repeating his Hurlford half antics just minutes later after a truly outstanding goal from forward partner and man-of-the-match Keir Milliken.

Taking possession inside his own half, Milky surged past his opponent before looking up and, from fully 45 yards, fired a shot that carried over the grasp of a frantically back-tracking Brown.

Gormley later revealed he had saved a penalty in similar circumstances when playing for Alloa in a 2011 Scottish Cup-tie against Hamilton Accies.

He said: "I'm always diving about and making saves in training games, so I wasn't intimidated at the prospect of going between the sticks and, fortunately, I guessed correctly with Keano's penalty just as I did with Simon Mensing's effort for the Accies.

"The big difference was my save back then counted for nothing as Alloa went on to lose that game, so it's a great feeling to think I have contributed to our making it into yet another final."

Musselburgh earned the right to face Talbot thanks to a 2-2 draw at home to Linlithgow Rose giving Stevie McLeish's men a 5-4 aggregate win.

Top scorer Jordyn Sheerin pounced on a Rose defensive blunder inside the opening 10 minutes to give 'Burgh a dream start and a 1-0 lead they were able to hold until the second period when visiting defender Michael O'Byrne bundled the ball home.

Rose hitman Tommy home substitute Lewis Turner emerged as the hero in 72 minutes when he slotted home following good set-up play by Sheerin.

In the Stagecoach Super Premier Division, Clydebank and Cumnock were officially relegated after Kilbirnie routed the Bankies by a 6-0 Valefield scoreline at the same time as Shotts were lifting themselves clear of the automatic relegation mire through veteran Gary McStay netting a brace in a 2-0 triumph over Arthurlie.

Meanwhile the crunch Super First Division title clash at Newlandsfield saw second-top Rob Roy overcome long-time league leaders Pollok 3-0 with goals from Chris Duff (2) and Stevie Aitken.