Hearts 2 Rangers 1

Hearts ended 35 years of under-achievement today when they lifted the Tennents Scottish Cup to spark a night of celebrations in the capital.

The Tynecastle side have waited a long time since their League Cup success in 1962 to get their hands on another trophy.

But they got one hand on the Cup today at Parkhead after 31 seconds.

That is all the time it took for them to impose their authority on the game.

Stevie Fulton and Rangers midfielder Ian Ferguson tumbled over in the penalty area and referee Willie Young had no hesitation in awarding a spot kick.

However, replays showed that Sergio Porrini's initial challenge on Fulton was a yard outside the box.

Colin Cameron took no notice of the furore going on around him to smash the ball beyond keeper Andy Goram in one of the quickest goals in Cup final history.

Rangers were stunned and there was added controversy five minutes from the end when substitute Ally McCoist appeared to be pulled back by David Weir inside the area.

But the referee opted for a freekick on the edge of the box to the astonishment of the Rangers supporters.

Brian Laudrup saw a shot hit the foot of the post right on the stroke of halftime before Stephane Adam sealed victory for Hearts.

Rangers defender Lorenzo Amoruso was in two minds on the edge of the area and the Frenchman took the ball off his toes.

Keeper Andy Goram got a hand to an Adam shot from acute angle but the ball bounced off the underside of his arm and over the line.

McCoist pulled a goal back for Rangers with 10 minutes to go after Richard Gough and Rino Gattuso had linked up but it was too little too late.

The fortunes and the faces of the two managers immediately after the game could not have been more contrasting.

Hearts boss Jim Jefferies, a former club captain, danced on the touchline after delivering a trophy to the club he has supported since boyhood.

But there was only heartache and disappointment for Rangers chief Walter Smith who is stepping down and being replaced by Dick Advocaat next season.

That Smith's final season at Ibrox should fail to yield a trophy is an irony for a man who has known nothing but success in his seven years at the helm.

It was also the final curtain for Chelsea-bound Laudrup and Gough, who is joining San Jose Earthquakes.

Others will surely follow in the summer and Rangers looked an ageing team on a sunny May afternoon in Glasgow.

Hearts had a scare when McCoist pulled that goal back but they can now be rightly considered as a new force in Scottish football and will carry the banner in the Cup Winners' Cup next season.

Rangers will have to settle for a place in the UEFA Cup with Celtic lifting the title and the Coca-Cola Cup.

Hearts were determined to erase the memory of a 5-1 defeat by Rangers in the final only two years ago.

They got off to a perfect start with Cameron's penalty after two minutes, which netted the midfielder £750 for being the fastest goal in the tournament this season.

Rangers gradually got back in the game, and Hearts goalkeeper Gilles Rousset did well to hold on to a shot from Laudrup and then Gordon Durie fired a shot over the top.

Rousset did well to turn away the blistering 25-yard drive by Amoruso as the Ibrox side stepped up the pace.

Laudrup's shot hit the foot of the post to bring an end to a scrappy first half.

Rangers boss Smith brought on McCoist for Stale Stensaas at the start of the second half, and Gattuso put the striker away in the 49th minute - but his touch let him down.

McCoist then whipped his shot wide of the post before Adam gave Hearts their crucial second goal.

Rousset, who had a nightmare in 1996 but did well to block another effort from McCoist before the Rangers striker sparked a furious last 10 minutes by pulling a goal back.

But the Rangers supporters, who gave their team incredible backing throughout the game, went unrewarded as Hearts clinched a famous victory.

Teams

Hearts: Rousset, McPherson, Naysmith, Weir, Salvatori, Ritchie, McCann, Fulton, Adam (Hamilton 78), Cameron, Flogel.

Subs Not Used: Murray, Robertson.

Booked: Hamilton.

Goals: Cameron 2 pen, Adam 52.

Rangers: Goram, Porrini, Stensaas (McCoist 45), Gough, Amoruso, Bjorklund, Gattuso, Ferguson, Durie, McCall (Durrant 68), Laudrup.

Subs Not Used: Moore.

Booked: Amoruso.

Goals: McCoist 81.

Att: 48,946

Ref: W Young (Clarkston).


Taken from sportinglife.com