HOLDERS Auchinleck Talbot will face South Ayrshire opposition in the next stage of their West of Scotland Football League Cup defence after successfully negotiating their first tie in the competition on Saturday.

Sunday night’s third round draw saw Talbot handed a home tie against either Troon or Girvan after Connor Boyd’s double secured a 2-0 win for Tommy Sloan’s side away to Port Glasgow in round two.

The two South Ayrshire sides will face off at Portland Park next month for the right to travel to Beechwood Park in round three after Jimmy Kirkwood’s men edged past Talbot’s bitter rivals Cumnock on Saturday.

Troon were facing a 'revolving door' exit after falling behind to Findlay Frye’s early strike for the hosts at Townhead Park – and must have thought it wasn’t going to be their day when Nock keeper Jamie Barclay saved a penalty from the visitors with just five minutes left.

But there was plenty more spot-kick drama to come – first when former Talbot man Mark Shankland slotted home a second Troon penalty, awarded just a minute after the first, and then when Leyton Dunlop clinched a 4-2 win for the visitors in the ensuing shoot-out.

Saturday’s WOSFL Cup action was split between the first and second round of the competition, with the Cumnock-Troon tie one of four all-Ayrshire clashes on the card.

Just a couple of miles up the road, penalties were needed to settle the tie at Rosebank Park between Lugar and Maybole, with the visitors triumphing over their Fourth Division hosts, edging the penalty shoot-out 4-2 after a 2-2 draw.

The action was rather more one-sided at Loch Park, where visitors Dalry Thistle were unable to repeat their giantkilling Scottish Junior Cup win over Pollok in midweek as Mark Roberts’ Glenafton side – who had also been in Junior Cup action in midweek, defeating Greenock 4-1 – eased to a 7-2 victory to book a second round tie against Irvine Vics.

Kris Kerr, Carter Frew and Michael Mullen hit the target as Hurlford United coasted through with a 3-0 win over local rivals Bonnyton, securing a third round tie at home to Kilbirnie or St Roch’s.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Irvine Meadow also eased through with the minimum of fuss, winning 5-0 away to bottom tier St Peter’s, while Beith triumphed by the same score at home to Benburb – but Largs Thistle left it late against fourth-tier Wishaw, David McGrath heading the only goal with six minutes left at Barrfields.

New Craigmark manager Ian Nixon won’t take full charge of his players until this week, but will have been impressed by what he saw as the Station Park men triumphed 3-2 at home to First Division Ashfield, Jamie Henderson scoring the home side’s winner – while Gavin Millar hit a double as Kilwinning saw off First Division rivals Renfrew 4-2 at Buffs Park, with Dylan Mackin and Neil McGregor also on target.

Muirkirk also threatened to pull off a shock result against First Division opposition, but the Burnside Park men were unable to hang on to their 1-0 interval advantage away to St Roch’s, with the Glasgow side eventually triumphing 3-1.

Whitletts’ miserable season continued with a 3-0 thumping away to Third Division Lesmahagow, while Sean Kenney’s Ardeer Thistle side lost by the same score away to Third Division leaders Bellshill.

Kello Rovers, still without a league point so far this season, were also on the wrong end of a surprise result, losing 3-0 away to Fourth Division strugglers Royal Albert, while Saltcoats Vics were unable to pull off what would have been a huge shock at home to top flight Rob Roy, with the Kirkintilloch side opening the scoring after just 15 seconds to set up a 6-1 win at Campbell Park.

Meanwhile, in the day’s only Second Division league match, Ardrossan Winton Rovers lost their place at the top of the table after a 2-1 defeat away to Cumbernauld United on Saturday, with the home side replacing Gavin Friels’ men at the top of the table.

Saturday’s only other league fixture saw Ayrshire rivals Irvine Vics and Girvan share the spoils after a 1-1 draw at Victoria Park, Stewart Kean opening the scoring for the visitors before James Maxwell struck to earn Vics a draw in a match which saw both sides finish with 10 men.

Full WoSFL Cup third round draw: Auchinleck Talbot v Troon or Girvan, Irvine Victoria or Glenafton v Largs Thistle or Johnstone Burgh, Kirkintilloch Rob Roy v Vale of Clyde, Royal Albert or Carluke v Bellshill or Lanark, Hurlford v Kilbirnie or St Roch’s, Larkhall v Blantyre Vics, Yoker or Threave Rovers v Beith or Glasgow United, Clydebank v Pollok, Maybole v Giffnock, Thorn Athletic v Kilwinning Rangers or Ardrossan Winton Rovers, Darvel or Greenock v Forth Wanderers or Kilsyth Athletic, Glasgow Perthshire or Cumbernauld United v Lesmahagow, Craigmark Burntonians or Easterhouse v Irvine Meadow, Shotts Bon Accord v Newmains United or Eglinton, Glasgow University v Rutherglen Glencairn, Gartcairn v St Cadoc’s.