Key moments that decided the final

DARRYL BROADFOOT

18 May 1998

q 31 seconds.

The most significant incident.

With supporters still finding their way to their seats, referee Willie Young pointed to the penalty spot after Steve Fulton had badgered his way past Joachim Bjorklund and Sergio Porrini, only to be brought down clumsily by Ian Ferguson.

Although only thin contact was made, it was enough to knock the peroxide playmaker off balance and, with penalty-taker John Robertson on the bench, the diminutive Colin Cameron, without yet having touched the ball, elected to take the kick.

He footed the ball out of the keeper's reach - it was game on.

q 36 minutes.

With the Hearts defence holding firm, Rangers had been struggling to provide any real goal threat.

The ice-cool Italian defender, Lorenzo Amoruso, took it upon himself to change that by blazing 30-yard free kick - the only one he hit anywhere near the target all day - which dipped and swerved towards the top right-hand corner of Gilles Rousset's net.

The outstanding Rousset fully extended his body to clear the danger.

Had that shot gone in, the game might have had a different outcome as the Glasgow side enjoyed most of the possession.

q 45 minutes.

Another golden opportunity for Rangers to restore parity.

Porrini's cross was cleared only as far as Brian Laudrup, who twisted before delivering a shot which bobbled past Rousset but struck the base of the post.

q 46 minutes.

Ally McCoist appeared after half-time in place of Stale Stensaas, who has suffered a complete loss of confidence at Ibrox.

The presence of McCoist, his last appearance in a Rangers jersey, was to be a vintage one and it ensured that Rangers were a more potent attacking threat.

q 52 minutes.

The goal that won Hearts their first Scottish Cup since 1956.

Rousset lumped the ball up to his forward line from a free kick and, while Amoruso dallied on the ball, unaware that Stephane Adam was galloping through on his blind side, the Frenchman strode in on Goram and blasted the ball into the net, with the keeper's strong touch not enough to divert it from goal.

q 81 minutes.

McCoist, in typical fashion, had squandered several chances.

However, he latched on to a perfect through ball from Rino Gattuso, which eliminated the entire Hearts rearguard, and, without even checking his stride, sent a low drive beyond Rousset.

A grandstand finish ensued.

q 85 minutes.

McCoist again breached the Hearts defence only to be pulled down by David Weir.

Penalty, everyone thought - even McCoist celebrated inside the area like a man possessed.

The referee, though, decided that the foul had taken place on the line of the 16-yard box.

Rangers fans did everything they could to dissuade Amoruso from taking the kick and the exhausted Laudrup took over.

He sent a weary shot straight at the Hearts wall and the end of an era had been reached.

Taken from the Herald