THE Whyte and Mackay Cup last 16 line-up is peppered with teams desperate to spice up their trophy cabinets.

A few of the sides still standing have not tasted victory in this tournament.

Leading the way in this respect are Cumnock, arguably the biggest name never to have won the coveted silverware among those outfits already through to the latter stages.

Astonishingly, this cup jinx even extends beyond the 1976 onset of the famed whisky company's lucrative sponsorship because neither did the Ayrshire giants manage to get their hands on the trophy in its previous guise as the West of Scotland Cup.

This unwanted distinction they share with four other contenders in the hat for the third round draw taking place on Tuesday, March 13 - Rutherglen Glencairn, Hurlford United, Kilbirnie Ladeside and Bellshill Athletic.

However, any overview of things from a Whyte and Mackay Cup context would surely conclude that Cumnock stand alone for enduring more heartbreak and disappointments than any other West Region side down through the years.

A hat-trick of losing Final appearances (all against Auchinleck in the early 1980s) is as close as they've come to filling this only void in an otherwise extensive list of trophy honours. But, of course, every bit as hard to stomach has been the enviable run of success enjoyed by arch-rivals Talbot in racking up a record nine cup wins.

And for good measure, another near neighbour, Glenafton, have recently taken to rubbing their noses in it through twin victories under the astute stewardship of Gerry Collins, both in 2003 and last season.

Given their past form in the competition, it may be wise not to go overboard about the chances of Cumnock creating their own slice of history this time around.

However, striker Michael Hughes has returned to full fitness and picked up where he left off in a rich vein of goalscoring form, leaving supporters feeling confident the 32-year wait for their team to bring the Whyte and Mackay Cup to Townhead Park is coming to an end.

For certain, Ashfield gaffer Stevie Rankin, whose side were on the wrong end of a 5-2 second- round scoreline, believes Mark Shanks and his playing charges will take some beating.

He said: "Cumnock are a big and aggressive side with a solid core of experienced players who know how to play to their strengths.

"We did well to match up with them for long spells until they turned on the power and simply ran over the top of us in the second half.

"I definitely see them making it through to the latter stages, particularly if they get some luck in the draws."

Undoubtedly posing a formidable obstacle to a first- ever Nock triumph is an elite band of former winners, headed up by their twin aforementioned Ayrshire rivals and inclusive of a resurgent Maryhill as well as Scottish Cup aspirants Arthurlie and Lanark United.

It's a five-strong contingent that could swell even further if Kilwinning Rangers and Petershill eventually come good in their second round contests. And neither should Shanks & Co take their eyes off league-leading duo Rob Roy and Kilbirnie, whose long overdue appearances in the last 16 mix has supporters dreaming of rewriting the Whyte and Mackay record books.