HELENSBURGH progressed to the second round of the West of Scotland Cup in style on Saturday with a 6-4 win away to Ayrshire side Dalry Amateurs.

Dalry started fast and gave the visitors an early scare with a shot which cannoned off the crossbar, but Helensburgh soon managed to sort out their shape and gave the hosts the perfect response when Park lifted the ball into the path of Martin, who outstripped the full-back before calmly curling the ball over the keeper’s head.

That stung the hosts into a swift reaction, and the scores were levelled after 10 minutes when a cross evaded Bailey at the back post and the Dalry winger managed to knock the ball past both Bailey and O’Brien and into the net.

But the see-saw opening spell continued with Helensburgh answering straight back through skipper Danny Johns, who slid the ball past the Dalry keeper to make it 2-1 after a rampaging run from his own half and nice interplay with Craig Petro.

And this time Helensburgh picked up the pace, with Findlay side-footing home the rebound after Wilkie, with memories of his wonder goal against Ochiltree seven days earlier still clearly fresh in his mind, hammered a long-range shot against the post.

The big striker should have made it four just before the break but he mis-hit his shot when clean through on goal.

Dalry pushed forward after the interval in search of a way back into the tie, and reduced the arrears five minutes into the second half before levelling a thrilling tie at 3-3 after a goalmouth scramble.

But yet again Helensburgh bounced back, regaining the lead minutes later when Steven Martin side-footed home after a fine run and cross down the right by Sinclair.

The loss of a fourth finally seemed to knock the stuffing out of the Dalry players, and it wasn’t long before Derek Park’s chip, cunningly disguised as a cross, found the top corner with the keeper stranded for number five.

Petro tied up the game ten minutes from the end with a peach of a free kick, but Dalry never gave up, and pulled one back late on from a long punt up the park.

Player and assistant coach Russell Makeham said: “We had a number of changes from the game last week which might have unsettled us and with only one substitute the team was set up to try and utilise what we had.

“The lads were excellent and it was a proper team performance.”

Squad: Makeham, O’Brien, Bailey, Petro, Johns, Park, Findlay, Wilkie, McNeal, Sinclair, Martin, Rowe.

Helensburgh have no fixture this Saturday due to the September holiday weekend.