If anyone thinks Auchinleck Talbot's 4-2 defeat of Rutherglen Glencairn justifies the losing side's outrageous 6/1 pre-match odds, they'd better think again.

There can be no disputing Talbot were by far the better side in this West of Scotland Cup tie. However, there looked to be only one winner with 20 minutes remaining and the teams locked at 2-2 ... and it wasn't the Ayrshiremen.

But thoughts of a coupon-busting outcome lasted a mere five minutes before the combined influence of whistler John Beaton and his touchline assistant Frank Quinn was brought to bear on the Glens with devastating effect.

Firstly the latter's intervention saw Glens co-boss Willie Patterson duly despatched inside for his alleged comments, inwardly seething by what he perceived to be a total injustice.

"The only words to come from my mouth were an instruction for Davie Dickson to tuck in, yet the assistant has accused me of foul and abusive language,"

he said.

Glencairn's sense of injustice was further fuelled by referee Beaton issuing full-back Chris Hughes with his second yellow card and a red for what was a fairly innocuous challenge.

One's fears for the 10 men, against opponents who were by now smelling blood, came home to roost in 77 minutes as impressive Talbot front man Kris Doolin - who had netted the opener before Bryan Young's second - broke clear to send in a cross which Steven White headed home at the back post for a 3-2 scoreline.

A man down and a goal down against a team of Auchinleck's quality left the Glens with a proverbial mountain to climb. Two minutes from time the Ayrshire cracks delivered their coup de grace through an embarrassingly easy tap-in from James Latta after keeper Mark Wilson saved from Doolin.

Two-goal Glens marksman Tony Fraser felt the controversial interventions of the match officials cost his side dearly.

He said: "At 2-2 I thought the game was ours for the taking but the twin sending-offs knocked us off our stride and we were never the same team afterwards.

"Auchinleck gave us a right going over first half, but once Willie and Scott Smith gave us a rollicking' and we started to play as we can' then we more than matched them.

"It's disappointing to lose but showing ourselves capable of competing against a team like theirs bodes well for the rest of the season."