HEARTS COME UP TRUMPS

Rangers (0) 1

Hearts (1) 2

AT LAST! Hearts carried the Cup back to the capital after a titanic struggle against Rangers.

And after a season in which Jim Jefferies pushed the big two all the way, the Hearts manager finally got the pay-off he was looking for.

It's been all of 22 years since the Scottish Cup was last paraded down Gorgie Road.

And after this display against the side who have ruled Scottish football for the past decade, certainly no one can grudge them their day in the sun.

It was nostalgia all round, with Gers boss Walter Smith and legends like Ally McCoist, Brian Laudrup and Richard Gough taking their final bows.

But it was Hearts' day - and that much was on the cards inside a minute.

A mere 35 seconds were on the clock when Stevie Fulton, the newly bleached- blond Gazza lookalike, raced into the box.

Ian Ferguson slid in hard just inside the box and Fulton went to the floor.

It looked like a dive, but referee Willie Young was quickly there pointing to the spot.

And up stepped Colin Cameron to crack his penalty well out of the reach of Andy Goram.

The game looked safe after Stephane Adam made it 2-0 soon after half- time - but there was to be a fiery finale.

Rangers had pushed in sub McCoist after the break, and he came up trumps with nine minutes left.

Ally pounced on a long ball upfield and bingo - the ball was well and truly tucked away behind keeper Gilles Rousset.

That set up a spectacular ending, with the big talking point coming five minutes before the final whistle.

Was it a penalty or not? McCoist was again on the loose when he went down in the face of a David Weir tackle on the edge of the box.

Young gave a free kick just outside, and no doubt that decision will be the topic of endless TV analysis.

It was a nervy ending to what was a really classic performance by the Edinburgh side.

They were organised at the back and dominant in midfield.

And when the few chances came up they were ready.

Certainly that unexpected start gave them a real lift, but Adam's 52nd- minute goal put it beyond doubt.

A long ball from Rousset was fielded somewhat uncertainly by Lorenzo Amoruso.

He passed straight to Adam, who hit an angled shot well beyond Goram.

As the game headed for four minutes of overtime, it all got a bit frantic with McCoist of all people squaring up to Weir.

Rangers fans hung around to salute the departing Smith, while for Hearts' supporters this was a day to toast the fact that Jefferies has something to show for a season in which his side made a strong push to keep up with the big guns.

With not a lot of cash in the kitty, he has fashioned a squad which now heads for Europe with a place in the Cup-Winners' Cup.

And in yesterday's squad of 14, he boasted no fewer than 10 Scottish players.

Of Rangers' 14, half are off to fresh pastures now as new boss Dick Advocaat revamps the club to meet chairman David Murray's European dreams.

With all that silverware in the cabinet, Smith can go with his head held high.

But Gorgie Road is the place to be today.