The midweek rain had been replaced by sunshine as the home side looked to attack from the off. A long ball from O’Neill turned the Livingston defence and McCann’s lob went wide with the keeper stranded. McCracken then had a shot from a tight angle well saved.

The first goal arrived in the eighth minute and was simplicity itself. McCann had won a corner which McCracken curled to the back post where Henry rose highest to power a header into the net.

The lead could have been doubled a minute later when Fowler made a mistake which McGonigle latched on to but Baxter did well to save. O’Neill was forced into a comfortable save from a long-range curler but it was mostly the Southsiders doing the attacking.

McGonigle had another chance in the sixteenth minute after a brilliant flick by McCann but his shot went narrowly wide of the far post. A minute later – after more good work by McCann – McHugh hit the post with an angled drive. The attacks kept on coming and good play down the left saw Boyle curl in a deep cross where McGonigle’s header was deflected up into the air. McCann connected beautifully with an overhead kick but it was blocked on the line.

Pollok doubled their lead in the twenty-second minute with a goal of stunning quality. McLaughlin strode out of defence before a slide-rule pass inside the full back for McCracken to take a touch before a square pass to McHugh who side-footed it into the corner of the net from twenty-two yards out.

The third arrived on the half hour mark. Bain picked out his full back partner Brown with a lovely cross-field pass and he headed across goal where McGonigle had time to take a touch before firing into the roof of the net. McHugh then set up a great chance for McCann with a near post cross but his effort was well saved by Baxter at point blank range.

With the tie all but won Pollok allowed a bit of slackness into their play and gifted Livingston a goal in the thirty-sixth minute. A pass across the back line by Stirling was a bit short and Henry was caught waiting for the ball allowing McIver to nip in and apply a cool finish past a stranded O’Neill. Before the half was out Livingston got in behind forcing O’Neill to tip a low shot out for a corner.

HALF-TIME: POLLOK 3 – 1 LIVINGSTON UNITED

 

The home side started the second half with their focus restored and McCracken flashed a volley across goal after being picked out by a superb long free-kick from Henry.

Just before the hour mark – after some concerted pressure where Livingston were pushed back – an ill-advised back pass was pounced on by McCann who unselfishly squared it to McHugh to slot home Pollok’s fourth.

Minutes later the home side put together a series of crisp passes which led to a McHugh shot from the edge of the box which Baxter parried and then reacted brilliantly to touch away McGonigle’s effort on the rebound. McHugh passed up another chance at the hat-trick when he glanced a McGonigle cross just wide.

The hat-trick duly arrived in the sixty-eighth minute. McHugh touched a long throw into the path of McCann and his cross picked out his strike partner to apply the finish from inside the six-yard box and earn himself the match ball.

With the substitutions coming thick and fast the flow of the game continued in the home side’s favour. Dachnowicz got in behind and saw his shot well saved again by Baxter who was bravely playing on despite an injury.

Pollok’s sixth goal arrived with eight minutes to go. A McCracken corner from the right was headed on by Bain and touched home by Dachnowicz for his first goal for the club.

The Southsiders did not let up in their attempts to find a seventh with McHugh hitting the bar with a clever chip, Doran and Cameron both bringing out saves from Baxter with long range efforts and McCracken firing narrowly over but they had to settle for six in the end.

 

FULL-TIME: POLLOK 6 – 1 LIVINGSTON UNITED