THE journey to Hampden for next May’s Scottish Cup final will continue without any West of Scotland Football League clubs when the competition reaches the fourth round stage in January.

The last two WoSFL teams left standing in the tournament were both eliminated in the fourth round on Saturday, with Cumnock, the only Ayrshire team from the sixth tier to make it as far as round three, finding the challenge of Lowland League side Broomhill too hot to handle at Townhead Park, where Ally McColm fired in a brace and Corey O’Donnell also found the net to earn the Dumbarton-based club a fourth round trip to Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

And while the winter weather had a big say on the fixture list for the WoSFL’s clubs at the weekend, there was still plenty of action for local supporters to get their teeth into.

The West of Scotland Cup occupied a large part of Saturday’s card, and of the ties that did go ahead there were few more eye-catching results than that of Second Division leaders Ardrossan Winton Rovers, who returned home from their short trip up the A738 with a 4-1 win over Kilwinning Rangers and a place in the third round in the bag.

Buffs fans had high hopes of more cup success after the previous week’s South Challenge Cup win over Albion Rovers, and the hosts made the perfect start when Jordan Stuart opened the soring on 14 minutes – but Gavin Friels’ in-form Winton side were determined to build on their excellent league form, and an Aidan Ferris double put the visitors in front before Mark Curragh opened up a 3-1 interval advantage, with Ryan Wilson completing a fine victory for Winton, and securing a third round tie away to Thorn Athletic, with his tenth of the season after the interval.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Glenafton Athletic put their league struggles behind them by safely negotiating a cup banana skin away to Third Division Irvine Vics, with Liam Caddis’s hat-trick in the space of 11 first-half minutes playing a large part in Glens’ 6-2 win, while Michael Moffat and Charlie Maxwell were also on target.

Glens – who unveiled Caddis’s brother Ryan as their new manager on Sunday after the departure of Mark Roberts last week – will play host to Largs Thistle in an all-Premier clash on December 9 after Stuart Davidson’s men bounced back from their shock South Challenge Cup exit to Ashfield by seeing off Johnstone Burgh at Barrfields, with Craig Forbes and Lewis Davidson the men on target.

The ‘Seasiders’ derby at Portland Park eventually went according to the form book as Troon saw off Girvan 5-1, though the top-tier hosts had to come from behind to do so after Mitchell Ewing’s early opener for the Hamilton Park side.

Kyle Gilroy drew the hosts level before the break, and Logan Smith’s header early in the second half gave Jimmy Kirkwood’s men a lead they would not relinquish, with Ben Black, Leyton Dunlop and Dale Moore all on target  as Troon earned a third round tie away to holders Auchinleck Talbot.

Craigmark Burntonians set up a tasty-looking third round tie at home to top flight strugglers Irvine Meadow by seeing off Fourth Division Easterhouse in convincing fashion, with Mark Gilmour weighing in alongside hat-tricks for Michael Reilly and Jordan Ryan as Ian Nixon’s men triumphed 7-0, extending Nixon’s unbeaten start to life at Station Park to a fifth game.

Maybole Juniors survived a huge fright at home to Fourth Division Giffnock, with Carlo Walker’s men edging through to round four 7-6 on penalties following a 2-2 draw at Ladywell – but the Bole’s First Division rivals Kilbirnie Ladeside will have nothing but league football to sustain them for the rest of the season after a 3-2 defeat at home to St Roch’s.

The Blasties trailed 2-0 at the break but set up a cracking second half at Valefield Park, with Jon Scullion’s penalty and a smart Ryan Connelly finish levelling the tie – only for Kieran Daw’s free kick to snatch victory for the visitors.

Only four Ayrshire sides saw their league fixtures beat the weather at the weekend, with Irvine Meadow still stuck at the bottom of the Premier Division after a 3-1 loss at leaders Clydebank on Friday night, Euan Baird's 79th-minute strike - by which time Medda were already three goals down - proving no more than a crumb of comfort for Martin Ferry's men.

Hurlford tumbled to a 3-0 loss at Benburb in the only top flight match to survive the freeze on Saturday, while Whitletts lost 3-2 to Cambuslang at New Voluntary Park in what would turn out to be Ryan Caddis’s last match in charge of the club, the visitors grabbing a late winner after Jordan Boyd and Dylan Howarth had brought Vics level from 2-0 down.

And Lugar Boswell Thistle showed plenty of battling spirit in their Fourth Division clash with Rossvale, with Kieran Oliver and Rowan Taylor both on target as the Jaggy Bunnets twice came from behind to secure a share of the spoils in a 2-2 draw at Huntershill.

All the West of Scotland Cup ties which were postponed on Saturday will now be played alongside the previously scheduled third round fixtures on Saturday, December 9.

Fixtures for Ayrshire’s WoSFL clubs this Saturday (December 2) are as follows.

Scottish Junior Cup, fourth round: Darvel v Larkhall, Hurlford v Caledonian Locomotive, Largs v Lochee United, Vale of Leven v Auchinleck Talbot.

Premier Division: Glenafton v Cumnock, Irvine Meadow v Troon, Kirkintilloch Rob Roy v Beith.

First Division: Kilbirnie v Shotts, Kilwinning v Cambuslang, Rutherglen Glencairn v Maybole, Ashfield v Whitletts.

Second Division: Forth v Craigmark, Muirkirk v Vale of Clyde, Bonnyton v Kilsyth Rangers.

Third Division: Ardeer v Lanark, Girvan v Finnart, Glasgow United v Dalry, Irvine Vics v Lesmahagow, Kello v Port Glasgow.

Fourth Division: Eglinton v Carluke, Glenvale v Saltcoats, Lugar v BSC Glasgow.