Shotts shoot down Auchinleck to win the Junior Cup

A special day in Livingston ... the sun shining, a big crowd and an exciting Junior Cup final on show

... and the hordes of  fans from Auchinleck ...

... and The Bot's number one fan ... the gyrating tatooed blonde bombshell (see the 'Away the Bot' tattoo on her shoulder - an Auchinleck bumble bee with the text below)

... a close of up of THE tattoo !

.... urging on her team ....

.... and looking downcast at the end of the afternoon

... and I was there to see it all !

Who will be livid in Livi ... will it be BOTtoms up or will Shotts call the shots ?

So the end of the first half of the road to to Hampden is in sight. Tomorrow, Auchinleck Talbot take on Shotts Bon Accord at Livingston's stadium in West Lothian. May the best team win.

I have come to realise over the last six months or so that the Bot are basically the Manchester United of Junior football. Musselburgh gave them a run for their money and the East's finest, Bonnyrigg Rose, too them all the way to penalties but the Bot have taken on all comers and have reached the final. I also saw them take on my beloved Hearts in the Scottish Cup 4th round and it was mighty close. If things had turned out differently that day the Edinbugh Scottish Cup final would not have happened. They are a very good footballing side and a credit to Junior football.

I know very little about Shotts Bon Accord but I am looking forward to seeing "North Lanarkshire's Finest"

Bonnyrigg pay the penalty as shots from the Bot set up final against Shotts

At last ! ... on my 4th visit to Auchinleck's tidy Beechwood Park I managed to get a programme (see below) and a rattling good read it is too. I can't understand why they printed so few for games in the earlier rounds. For the quarter final I got to the match 40 minutes before kick off with the intention of being early enough to make sure I got a programme and found that they had sold out.

I missed the first leg of this semi final tie in Bonnyrigg because I was at Hampden for the Hearts v Celtic Scottish Cup semi final. However, I still consider that my 'road' journey is authentic as no -one was going to be KO-d in the first leg. The first match finished 1-1 in front of an incredible 2,5413 fans. They are more use to success in Auchinleck and hence a smaller crowd turned out for the decisive leg - 1674 fans were in attendance for this one.  The match went to penalties and the Bot prevailed. Below is a pic taken a second after the decisive spot kick hit the net.

the Rose keeper is distraught !