Dumbarton 0 , Hearts 4.

HEARTS put recent traumas behind them with a morale-boosting Coca-Cola Cup win at Boghead.

Only two minutes had elapsed when a cross from the Tynecastle side's top man, Allan Johnston, fell at the feet of John Millar, but the midfielder contrived to strike the left-hand upright.

However, the Hearts man was not to be denied.

In 20 minutes Johnston swung over a cross from the right, and when the Dumbarton defence failed to clear their lines, Millar pounced, his well-placed effort giving MacFarlane no chance.

The men from the lower division were clearly determined to make a game of it.

But, while their build-up work was often purposeful, they just couldn't find the finish to match.

Both lively Martin Mooney and Martin McGarvey found themselves in advanced positions as Dumbarton pressed for an equaliser.

Both, however, lost their footing at the vital moment, on the slippery surface.

These misses were punished shortly before half-time when the premier side extended their lead with a well-worked goal.

Under-21 internationalist Johnston again was the architect with a well-weighted, near-post cross which John Robertson met with a powerful header into the roof of the net.

In 53 minutes man-of-the-match Johnston produced the goal of the match.

The youngster took a Levein pass in his stride wide on the right, 30 yards out, and weaved past two defenders before calmly side-footing the ball beyond the advancing keeper.

Johnston added his second and Hearts' fourth in 69 minutes when he was on hand to prod the ball over the line after good work on the left by striker Robertson.

DUMBARTON -- MacFarlane, Marsland, Boyd, Melvin, Martin, MacLeod, Mooney, Meechan, Gibson, McGarvey, Ward.

Substitutes -- Dennison, Gow, Campbell.

HEARTS -- Walker, Frail, McKinlay, Levein, Mackay, McLaren, Colquhoun,

A Johnston, Robertson, M Johnston, Millar.

Substitutes -- Smith, Leitch, Weir.

Refereee -- E Martindale (Newlands)

Taken from the Herald