The juniors are on the march. All three representatives will be in the third round draw this afternoon, with the all-conquering Linlithgow Rose making the most forceful case for the strength of the junior ranks.

Rose' are the current East Super League Champions and holders of the Scottish Junior Cup. Unsurprisingly for a team acquainted with such regular success, they have shown genuine belief in their abilities as they negotiate groundbreaking steps alongside the seniors in this year's competition.

A 6-0 caning of Newton Stewart in the first round was a formidable statement of intent, and this win over East of Scotland league side Spartans a further indicator of their quality. A draw against a second division side in the next round would be another interesting test of their ability to hold their own with senior sides. The party line on Saturday was that next week's junior cup tie with Irvine Meadow was just as important, if not more so, but there is an added spice to their Scottish Cup odyssey.

This is also a point-proving exercise for the juniors. The pre-match comments of Mickey Lawson, the Spartans manager, who railed against the inclusion of junior sides in the competition, were used as a further motivational tool. Regardless of the validity of Lawson's arguments, they were still pinned up on Linlithgow's dressing room wall.

Greig Denham, the former Motherwell defender who now plays for Linlithgow, is confident his side can make further progress. "We're never going to win the senior Scottish Cup, but I'm sure nobody will want to come here in the third round. We're really looking forward to the draw. Nothing is expected of us. We fancy our chances. We just want to get as far as possible. Nobody could have said we were going to get to the third round but I think we showed today that there is no way we are degrading the cup by junior teams being in there. We won quite convincingly so there's no reason we can't compete against second and third division teams."

A home draw in the third round would inspire genuine belief that Linlithgow could reach the fourth round and draw a Premier League team. "I don't want St Johnstone or Dundee in the next round, I want Whitehill or Golspie," insisted Gordon Rae, the Linlithgow assistant. "From the start of last season when it was first announced that junior teams could qualify for the Scottish Cup, the ambition was to get to the fourth round and get a tie here, where we can get a good crowd in and do well."

Prestonfield is a quaint little ground with hedges round the perimeter and a grassy hillock behind one of the goals.

A impressive crowd of 1600 generated a lively atmosphere on Saturday, with the Spartans fans taking the plaudits for the most inspired banner. Moira is a curvaceous Bentley' read the sign draped over the small concrete wall surrounding the pitch. Rumour has it that the blushing object of their affections was seated not too far away.

The game proved an even encounter for the first hour, with Spartans playing their way back into the match when they equalised from the penalty spot just after the interval. The home side quickly reasserted themselves, though, and ran out worthy winners. "We were well beaten by a better team," said Lawson. "It was men against boys. If we had won it would have been a travesty."