THISTLE pulled off an extraordinary performance to flatten Kilwinning in the Macron Scottish Cup quarter-finals and go marching into the final four of the national tournament.

Even though the record books will show that the opposition lost their discipline in the second half with two ordering offs, it takes nothing away from the high calibre of the Largs performance which in truth could have yielded many more goals.

Buffs, who had beaten Largs 3-1 at Abbey Park in the league only seven days before, didn’t know what had hit them.

Ben Black, Laurie McMaster, Nicky Jamieson and Mark Millar were restored to the opening line-up for Stuart Davidson’s side, and each new addition played a vital part, but the whole team deserves credit for a real tour de force.

This was another champagne performance from Largs who sparkled with stylish passing football leaving the opposition chasing shadows, and was a joy to watch. Even the bookmakers didn’t see this display coming, with Kilwinning being made slight favourites. From the opening minute, Largs had Kilwinning on the back foot with Graham Muir slipping an effort just wide of the right post. Livewire winger Black then forced Buffs keeper Adam Strain into a top quality stop at his left post.

When Scott Adam crashed an effort off the crossbar from the left-hand side on 18 minutes it only seemed a matter of time until Thistle scored. The opener was a masterful move as Mark Millar’s interception broke up a Kilwinning attack and the ball was fired forward with Black’s pace leaving the visiting defence stretched, and he rounded the keeper before slotting home an angled strike on 20 minutes.

Largs kept pushing with Ryan McKie and Martin Orr on the right proving to be a handful too while Stuart Faulds and Graham Muir in midfield diligently kept Kilwinning chasing the game. Adam had an effort which was desperately cleared, while Kilwinning’s only real chance of note came from the head of Maitland following a rare Buffs corner which was headed well over the bar.

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The start of the second half saw a great move instigated by McKie as he feinted his way past defenders and curled a clever cross with the outside of his right foot which was headed into the turf and wide by Muir at the far post.

McKie also fired in a shot from the right wing which was beaten away by Strain as the pressure was beginning to tell. Largs won a penalty on 50 minutes as Jamieson was fouled in the Kilwinning penalty area. Adam slotted the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the net. Moments later, the real flashpoint of the game came outside the box when a quick Thistle passing move was broken up by a sliding challenge on Black as he attempted to scurry through on goal. Both keeper and defender appeared to slide in with keeper Strain being ordered off but video evidence later showed that it was the defender who actually brought Black down.

The third goal arrived from Millar’s corner out on the right-hand side as skipper Creag Little went towering in to head home at the far post as the celebrations really started to begin in earnest. See clip below.

Number four arrived from the cultured foot of Millar. The experienced former Dundee United and Livingston midfielder sent in a curling bending effort which gave rookie keeper Taylor no chance as it finished up in the bottom right corner of the net from distance. Stunning. The fans were in raptures as the players went over to celebrate.

The bad news for Kilwinning was that Thistle still had half an hour in which to score more goals. Throughout the match Buffs had few openings of note, with only ex-Morton man Carlo Monti breaking up play with a long-range effort which skied the Largs crossbar.

On 65 minutes, Thistle made it five with a long range free-kick which Millar struck with power although Taylor didn’t get a clean hand to it and will feel he should have done better. But this mattered not a jot to Thistle who were in full celebratory mood and at one points fans were even crying ‘Olé’ to some of the scintillating passing moves. Things went from bad to worse for Kilwinning as Boylan saw an immediate red card for an off the ball incident. Largs were looking to get more goals and nearly managed it when sub John Carter dashed down the right side and drilled in a low cross which was cleverly back-heeled by Muir but the ball trickled past the left post. It would have been a fantastic goal.

There was a big gate at Barrfields to witness one of the best displays of the season. It may have been the best to date given the standard of opposition and the stature of the contest. Defensively Largs were solid, and kept pressing Kilwinning down both channels, and looked capable of scoring at will. It was the probably one of Thistle’s best ever quarter-final performances in their history but arguably it could be one of the toughest years of the competition for a long time with big guns Auchinleck, and possibly Hurlford or Clydebank, and Lochee to face in the semi-finals. It really doesn’t get tougher than that — but after some of the impressive Largs results this season, including this brilliant battering of the Buffs — the other semi-finalists will be thinking the same about Thistle, who really are on the crest of a wave.

Largs: McGowan, Orr, McMaster, Little, Jamieson, Faulds, McKie, Millar, Adam, Muir, Black. Subs: Carter, Struthers, Begley, Farrell, Fleming.