MATT VALLANCE Big money beat Campbell Money in the Citylink Scottish Junior Cup final as Bathgate, managed, sponsored and bank-rolled by millionaire manager Willie Hill came from a goal down to overhaul Money's Cumnock side in the final 15 minutes of the match.

Victory completed Hill's 30-year quest for the Scottish Junior Cup, the Holy Grail of the junior game. Two years ago his side failed to turn up at Rugby Park, losing out to Auchinleck Talbot. This time around Thistle's nerve held.

Mind you, when Junior international striker Richie Barr produced a stunning goal to give Cumnock the lead after 44 minutes, you feared Bathgate would again freeze on the big stage. This time round, however, they didn't crumble. They did take a wee while to make their inter-passing game work, but once Stephen Menmuir rose to head Thistle level in 77 minutes, the feeling grew that the trophy was heading up the M77 and along the M8 to Bathgate.

That feeling became a certainty, seven minutes from time, when Paul McGrillen, perhaps the best-known of the many ex-seniors in the two squads, played an exquisite one-two with striking partner Stephen Docherty.

Goalkeeper Graham Potter did manage to take the sting out of McGrillen's shot but neither he, nor two back-tracking Cumnock defenders, could prevent the ball trundling over the line for McGrillen's 32nd goal of the season.

In 2006, Hill was genuinely shell-shocked in defeat - yesterday, as he admitted: "It felt an awful lot better out there at the end as a winner rather than a loser."

It was hard to argue with his assertion that his side had deserved to triumph. They had the better of the first half possession, with McGrillen's movement a constant thorn in the Cumnock side. However, Thistle couldn't produce the final ball and the closest they came was when a marginally offside McGrillen forced a lucky leg block out of Potter in 23 minutes.

Cumnock, with less ball, had more chances with John McLay twice coming close inside the opening half hour. It was still, however, a shock when Barr spun on to Michael Hughes' nod down to volley Cumnock ahead.

"I told them at half-time not to panic, they still had 45 minutes to play and to get the ball down and play passes and we'd win", said Hill.

Cumnock appeared to have succeeded in their second-half efforts to take the sting out of the game after the break, but, in 77 minutes, the excellent Scott Bannerman swung in a free kick and centre half Menmuir rose highest to head Bathgate Thistle level.

"We coped well with their attacks all day, then, we failed to cut out that cross," moaned Money. "Until then, they hadn't looked like scoring. So yes, I'm bitterly disappointed to have lost the final."

Menmuir injured himself scoring and was replaced by Stewart Easton, but, the impetus in the final had now swung the way of Bathgate Thistle and six minutes later man of the match McGrillen, a senior Scottish Cup final loser with Falkirk in 1997, was finally a winner.