in the Junior ranks, the town could once more host a senior side, and formed a new club - Stevenston United - and recruited a number of players with Scottish League experience.

The club's first Scottish Cup tie (the first round of the Qualifying Cup) was at home to Scottish League side Ayr United, and Stevenston pulled off a major shock by winning 1–0, in front of 4,000 at Warner Park; a win that was "quite deserved", the visitors never getting to grips with the smaller ground.

[6] Seven members of the United team were employed at the factory; none was injured, but the club asked the Scottish Football Association for a postponement.

[7] The tie therefore went ahead, with a flag at half-mast and players wearing black armbands, and United won through 3–2, having largely dominated the match but failing to take a number of chances.

[9] The club was not considered to have much of a chance - "they are fated to be snuffed out without receiving the pecuniary reward they so richly deserve...unless the heavens should fall, or some scarcely less untoward catastrophe take place, Third Lanark will surely qualify for the semi-final".

United refused, but the tie was postponed after Third Lanark's goalkeeper Jimmy Brownlie was called up to play for Scotland against Ireland the next Saturday.

[12] When the replay finally took place, United took the lead on the hour, Farrell glancing home a corner, and Hamilton struck a post; but the shock was averted when Thirds equalized with almost the last kick of the game.

[18] The Ayrshire Cup nevertheless did play to a finish, and United beat Kilmarnock in the final, after a replay at Galston's Riverside Park.

The club also won - technically retaining, as it had not been played during the war - the Ayrshire Cup, beating Galston 1–0 at Rugby Park.

The cost of running a side without a Scottish League place (and the guarantees for away matches, plus generally higher attendances) was proving crippling.