Falkirk 1 Hearts 3

Last-minute strikes from Stephane Adam and Neil McCann brought Hearts a Scottish Cup semi-final victory they ill-deserved against Falkirk at Ibrox.

Kevin McAllister's 86th minute goal had levelled Adam's fifth minute opener, but remarkably the Frenchman inspired a recovery to clinch this dramatic semi-final against the run of play.

With Falkirk reeling at the injustice of Adam completing his brace, the scoreline took a further unfair turn as McCann slotted in a third.

The match had been expected to be one-sided, but never in Falkirk's favour as the First Division team proved more than a match for their Premier Division title-chasing opponents.

Adam's fifth-minute strike was virtually the first and last chance Hearts created in what must rate as their least polished performance of an otherwise shining season.

Last season's beaten finalists Falkirk are £1.5million in debt and in provisional liquidation, but there was no shortfall in their playing resources.

To say Hearts can consider themselves fortunate to reach their second final in three years is an understatement, but luck has favoured them in this competition all season.

They have reached the final without facing Premier Division opposition having beaten Clydebank, Albion and Ayr in somewhat greater comfort than displayed today.

Steve Fulton's creativity was missed in the Hearts midfield after he failed a late fitness test on a damaged ankle, Austrian Thomas Flogel filling the breach without conviction.

With Gary Locke still sidelined with a knee problem, Grant Murray was given a further chance to demonstrate his promise in a defence led by former Falkirk centre-half David Weir.

Falkirk were without Kevin James (ankle), while Paul McGrillen, whose goal took the club to last season's final at Celtic's expense in a semi-final replay, was only on the bench.

McAllister set up Falkirk's first chance after four minutes with the first of many driving runs, beating two men before releasing veteran Albert Craig on the left.

His low shot needed a smart save to his right from keeper Gilles Rousset and the scare seemed to jolt Hearts to life, if only as it transpired temporarily, as they took the lead.

Jim Hamilton's driven cross was allowed to travel unimpeded across the face of the goal where it was met with a simple tap-in at the far post by Adam. With only five minutes gone and a gap in class evident on paper, Falkirk might have been expected to fold, but their response to the goal was to dominate the opening half.

After 19 minutes, David Moss found Scott Crabbe in space, but his clever chip - while deceiving Rousset - could not earn him a goal against his old club as the ball drifted wide.

McAllister, making light of his 35 years, was at the hub of every moment of Falkirk invention and it was his cross that Craig drove narrowly wide after 26 minutes. Hearts were now reduced to ambitious strikes from 30 yards from firstly Murray then Stefano Salvatori, neither of which required Paul Mathers to make a save.

Jim Jefferies' side's frustration was demonstrated by two bookings inside a minute, Colin Cameron fouling Crabbe, Flogel felling Andy Seaton in near identical fashion on the right flank.

Still Falkirk poured forward, but still their possession could not be translated into a goal, a McAllister cross which somehow eluded an unmarked Moss typifying their ill fortune before the break.

The First Division side continued where they left off after the restart and again McAllister was most prominent, sending a looping drive just over after 55 minutes.

Falkirk were making and spurning opportunities almost at will, Craig failing to connect when clear in front of goal just eight yards out. The combination of McAllister and Crabbe then worked well twice, the latter denied on the hour mark by an alert Rousset save with the Frenchman again exposed by his defence.

After 66 minutes, McAllister squared to Crabbe who sent a fine curling effort beyond the reach of Rousset, but just off target. Hearts sent on Lee Makel and Jose Quitongo for Flogel and Cameron after 67 minutes, but remained firmly on the defensive as their lead looked increasingly fragile.

Man-of-the-match McAllister's afternoon looked to have been capped with his 86th minute shot that curled into the top-right hand corner to level at last, but fate was to be cruel.

Hearts broke swiftly with McCann squaring for Adam to convert his second from close range in the 89th minute, before the winger added a third for good measure in injury-time.

Teams

Falkirk: Mathers, Corrigan, Seaton, McGowan, Berry, McKenzie, McAllister, Craig (Hagen 75), Crabbe, Moss, Keith (McGrillen 66).

Subs Not Used: McCart.

Booked: McGowan, McKenzie, Moss, Crabbe.

Goals: McAllister 85.

Hearts: Rousset, Murray, Naysmith, Weir, Salvatori, Ritchie, McCann, Flogel (Quitongo 66), Adam, Cameron (Makel 66), Hamilton.

Subs Not Used: McPherson.

Booked: Flogel, Cameron.

Goals: Adam 5, 89, McCann 90.

Att: 31,587

Ref: H Dallas (Motherwell).


Taken from sportinglife.com