West Lothian make last four

West Lothian arrived in Glasgow as underdogs against a select side from 37 schools within Scotland's largest city, but they will now face Ayrshire in a last-four tie after goals by St Margaret's winger Scott Cowan and central defender Fraser Clarkson of James Young High School sandwiched Ryan Clougherty's equaliser for the hosts.

Progress to within 90 minutes of a Scottish Cup final place represents the best-ever chance of a West Lothian schools' team winning the national trophy.

The dream appeared shrouded in doubt early on as Glasgow made an impressive and composed start to the game.

As soon as they stole possession, though, West Lothian made an immediate impact by opening the scoring on four minutes. Cowan picked up the ball on the left, drifting forward from midway inside the Glasgow half before unleashing a strike from 25 yards out, near the outer left corner of the box, that cut across the goalkeeper and into the far corner of Bryan Brown's net.

Cowan delivered countless tantalising crosses throughout the game into the opposition box, though quite the reverse, unfortunately, on 18 minutes when it came to clearing from his own penalty area.

A loose pass following a Glasgow corner allowed Clougherty, the star man for the hosts, to skip past the last defender, Clarkson, and roll the ball into the far left-hand corner of Stephen McDonald's net.

If Cowan's hero-to-zero moment set the tone for plenty more match-turning quirks to come, his team mate Clarkson, unable to stop Clougherty for the equaliser, followed the script perfectly.

Almost immediately after Glasgow's leveller, Clarkson met a high, hopeful Ryan Williamson free kick at the other end, barely lifting his sizeable frame from the ground as he headed the ball into the top left-hand corner at the far post.

West Lothian might have had the opportunity to extend their lead ten minutes later had the referee been in more generous mood when their striker Ryan Kellock, back to goal, was clumsily felled by Glasgow full-back Ryan McGeever just inside the box. The creator of his side's second goal, West Calder winger Williamson, became increasingly influential as the first half wore on and won a free kick 20 yards out, which Cowan sent viciously towards goal only to see Brown tip the ball over.

Glasgow were tested further when their No.?3 Ciaran Friel was dismissed for a second bookable offence, a 34th minute foul followed by a bout of dissent towards the match official that earned the full-back an early bath and put his team mates in hot water of a different kind.

The home side never recovered, surrendering territory and possession to a dominant West Lothian side in the second half. A hungry Williamson drove continuously at the Glasgow defence but could not find composure in his shooting after unlocking the opposition backline on a number of occasions. Likewise Clarkson, who ghosted in at the far post to meet Cowan's corner but headed the ball into the ground, causing it to spring off the artificial surface and well above the crossbar. Ultimately, however, it mattered not as the visitors held on to their lead, and their cup dream.

Glasgow Schools: Bryan Brown (Bearsden), Ryan McGeever (Holyrood), Ciaran Friel (St Peter's), Tressor Bessombi (Hillhead), Conor Mackie (OLSP), Jaludi Karenzi (Bellahouston), Arnault Bembo (Lourdes), Frankie Kameni (Hillhead), Ryan Clougherty (Bearsden), Sam MacDonald (Lourdes), Thomas Crawford (OLSP), Scott Jackson (St Paul's), Anthony Maclean (Holyrood), Mark Sim (Bearsden), Andy Ryan (OLSP), Gary Williamson (Hillpark).

West Lothian Schools: Stephen McDonald (Broxburn), James Mildren (Whitburn), Scott Hislop (Inveralmond), Keir Stewart (Whitburn), Fraser Clarkson (James Young), Alan Lawson (Bathgate), Liam Airley (West Calder), Ryan Williamson (West Calder), Simon Doherty (West Calder), Ryan Kellock (Whitburn), Scott Cowan (St Margaret's), Liam Watt (St Margaret's), Bruce Hay (James Young), Jordan Wright (Linlithgow), Mark McArthur (St Kentigern's).