After edging to a 3-1 league victory in East Kilbride the previous week, Vale manager Hugh Hamill was expecting another tough challenge but after the match he admitted East Kilbride made their task a lot easier than he expected, he said: “I thought they were really poor — in the league match they put up a really spirited performance but they were not up to it on Saturday.

“We scored at good times and they were left demoralised while our tails were up.

“We were 3-0 up at half time without really getting out of second gear but in the second half we were more at it and remained hungry to score which was good to see.

“It was good to see Scott Arthur and David McNaught scoring again — they are playing well together and have a decent partnership.” The front two got the ball rolling just 16 minutes into the tie when Arthur headed home a McNaught delivery to put the Vale 1-0 ahead.

McNaught then turned goalscorer when he doubled the Vale lead, converting Gordon Martin’s ball after 25 minutes.

Martin recorded his second assist of the match just 10 minutes later when Scott Thornton headed his cross beyond Mark Wilson in the East Kilbride goal to put the Vale 3-0 ahead.

The Vale went in at the break with their three goal advantage but the scoring did not stop there with Arthur grabbing his second on the hour mark.

Thornton netted his second just 10 minutes later, much to the frustration of East Kilbride goalkeeper, Wilson, who was convinced the Vale man was offside, and got himself sent off for his angry protests.

In the 77th minute Ross Willis got in on the scoring act with a neat finish to put the Vale 6-0 ahead.

Arthur had the final word as he completed his hat trick with just three minutes to go to send the Vale into the second round of the West of Scotland Cup.

Vale: Smith, Wardle, Lacy (c), Wilson (Thornton), McGeachy, Docherty (Ward), Stillwell, Willis, Martin, Arthur, McNaught.