ONLY time will tell if Arthurlie delivered a knockout blow to Beith's Super Premier title aspirations last night.

But on the evidence of their 6-2 Bellsdale Park thrashing, Johnny Miller's men are anything but champion material.

It was more than their confidence which took a dent after cornerstone pair Derek McCulloch and Mushy Stewart were carried off with serious injuries.

Arthurlie's greater desire prevailed right from the kick-off and they forged ahead when Frank McKeown converted a penalty kick awarded when Lee Sharp was sent crashing inside the box.

Before half-time their advantage was doubled after front man Craig Malcolm slammed home a James Lundie cut-back from almost on the goal-line.

The second half saw George Wallace set up Malcolm for his second goal and minutes later the goalscorer turned goal-maker in creating an opening for the mercurial Sean Winter to make it 4-0.

Beith frontman John Craig lobbed Peter Shaw to reduce the home team's leeway in 63 minutes, but any hopes of a fightback were killed dead by Lie substitute Mathew McLean heading in a pinpoint Winters cross for 5-1.

A handling offence saw Beith mess up a spot-kick opportunity of their own as Kenny McLean's effort crashed off the underside of the crossbar and away to safety, however the busy striker made amends with a close-range header less than a minute later.

Rather fittingly the coup de grace was applied by Winters netting from a Hagi Anderson pass, thus ensuring a welcome three points for the visitors which has all but secured their Super Premier safety.

Manager Mark Cameron said: " All credit to my players who capitalised on a Beith side that looked strangely out of sorts considering they are challenging for the title.

"Some of our play was breathtaking with Sean Winters outstanding and George Wallace doing a superb job as the anchorman in midfield.

"Hopefully we can build upon this display and finish the season with a flourish."

Elsewhere the champagne was flowing at Holm Park where long-time front-runners Rutherglen Glencairn clinched the First Division title with a 2-1 victory over Yoker thanks to goals from Richie Burke and David Carr.

Beith's disappointment was mirrored one flight lower down by Super First title challengers Lanark United, beaten 3-1 by bogey team Renfrew at Western Park.

Things had looked promising for the visitors when Tam Hanlon fired in a free-kick to cancel out Graham Mort's opener, however they had no answer to further Frew goals in the closing quarter-of-an- hour from Ryan Deas and Chris Lauchlan.

United gaffer Tony McInally's pain was exacerbated by word arriving from Ayrshire that promotion rivals Kilbirnie Ladeside had recovered from going 2-1 down and having Stevie Miller sent off to beat Maybole 3-2 through strikes from hitmen Alain Kinney and Jamie Longworth (2).

In the only Central League Cup head-to-head of Super Premier sides, Bryan Dingwall and Robert Downs netted as Pollok emerged 2-1 winners over Rob Roy, while a major shock ensued at Castle Park as newly-crowned Second Division champions Blantyre Vics took the scalp of Shotts, two leagues better off.

Vics goalkeeper Alan Colquhoun excelled as his team won the penalty shootout 3-1 following a 3-3 draw.

Goalscorer supreme in the Ayrshire Cup was Irvine Meadow's ex-Senior ace Emilio Jaconelli, who remarkably bagged five of his team's goals in a 6-1 defeat of Troon. Injury fears haunt cup rivals Bot and Bankies

CITYLINK Scottish Cup finalists Auchinleck Talbot and Clydebank experienced mixed fortunes after fielding weakened line-ups in District Cup encounters.

Talbot pair Bryan Slavin and Lee McRae netted braces to seal a 4-2 Ayrshire Cup victory away to Whitletts Vics, while the Bankies crashed out of the Central League Cup, losing 6-5 on penalties to Kilsyth Rangers following a 1-1 stalemate in regulation time.

The 26 days before this season's Rugby Park showpiece is to be played are set to provide many sleepless nights for dug-out rivals Tommy Sloan and Budgie McGhie.

Both bosses admit to having something in common when looking ahead to the showdown -an over-riding fear of injuries kicking in to rule out some of their players from appearing.

Tucker said: "Enjoying terrific cup runs in both the Scottish and West of Scotland Cups brings the downside of a backlog of league games.

"And the likelihood now is we will be tasked with playing every couple of days in the lead-up to the final, albeit we get the last week in May to exclusively prepare for facing Clydebank.

"Cramming in so many games in such a short space of time means it is inevitable players will pick up knocks and I can only keep my fingers crossed that none of them are serious."

Bankies gaffer Budgie has already been forced to exclude broken collarbone victim Mark Maxwell from his thoughts and he owns up to thinking the unfortunate midfielder will not be his only casualty.

"Taking Mark out of the equation along with Mark Bowie, whose work commitments have severely restricted his appearances, leaves us down to 22 of a pool," revealed Budgie.

"On the face of it our resources might look adequate, but Ian Anderson is currently sidelined with an injury picked up in our semi-final with Pollok and Sinky Soutar has since picked up a knee injury.

"One or two others are also carrying knocks so these are worrying times."