It's about Dam time!

Kenny MacDonald

Hearts 2 Rangers 1

Steph strike ends 36-year cup drought.

STEPHANE ADAM lit the maroon touchpaper to kick off the party Hearts have waited 35 years, six months and 20 days for.

Early goals in either half by Colin Cameron - from the spot - and birthday boy Adam ended Scottish football's most famous trophy famine.

The Frenchman - 29 on Friday - punched the air in premature triumph as he went off with 12 minutes left.

He gasped later: "It's a wonderful day. It would have been terrible after the season we've had not to win something.

"When I came off I went into the dressing room and couldn't bear to watch. I sat with my fingers in my ears until I knew we had won. My plans now are to drink for a week!"

On a baking afternoon, Hearts had too much gas in the tank for a Rangers side who never got out of first gear.

Hairy Jim Jefferies' tactics of flooding the midfield and leaving Adam to forage up front were spot-on and Rangers were stifled.

Only in the closing stages - after sub Ally McCoist pulled one back with nine minutes left - did Gers pose a real threat.

The Jambos had Godfather actor Robert Duvall cheering them to victory from the stands - and they clung on through a finale every bit as gripping as one of his films.

They had to survive a hairy moment when McCoist went down after a tackle by David Weir which ref Willie Young controversially ruled was outside the box.

Then Weir lunged in desperately to deny Sergio Porrini in the six-yard box as the Italian shaped to shoot.

But Hearts deserved to carry the day in an untidy but engrossing clash which had begun in incredible fashion.

The old trophy has seen many dramatic matches in its 125-year history but it can scarcely have had a more dramatic opening.

From kick-off, Paul Ritchie and Gary Naysmith exchanged passes before the full-back found Fulton, whose long searching pass was kept in at the corner flag by Adam.

The Frenchman shielded the ball from Gough then rolled it back into the path of Fulton. The Hearts skipper showed exactly the kind of leadership his side required on the day, bursting aggressively into the box.

He was sent flying between the combined attentions of Porrini and Ian Ferguson with the midfielder seeming to get the final touch on his heels.

Murmur

Ref Willie Young's first decision of the final after 30 seconds was to point unhesitatingly to the spot.

Significantly, there wasn't a murmur of complaint from anyone in blue even though TV suggested strongly contact had been outside the box.

Cameron coolly drilled home the kick to give Hearts the kind of start they could only have dreamed of.

Rangers' response was understandably vigorous. Staale Stensaas's cross was half-cleared by Gilles Rousset and the French keeper was forced into a good save from the resulting shot by Brian Laudrup.

The early goal, though, looked to have unsettled Rangers. The prospect of a trophy-less season was staring back at them and their defence in particular looked uncomfortably disjointed, with Jocky Bjorklund in an unfamiliar right-back berth to counteract the pace of Neil McCann.

Their confidence wasn't helped when Lorenzo Amoruso's throw-in tested both the reactions and footwork of Andy Goram, who did well to clear with Adam bearing down on him - then gave the Italian a tongue-lashing.

The Hearts system of five men across the middle with Adam as lone frontman were successfully subduing Rangers in midfield and having scored the early goal so crucial to those tactics, there was little need for change.

As half time approached, Rangers finally forced a save from Rousset, Amoruso's thundering long-range free kick producing a two-handed stop from the Frenchman.

Hearts fans shouted for a second penalty when McCann went down under Gough's challenge but ref Young waved the claims away - and the Rangers skipper wagged his finger at the winger.

Thick

McCann was in the thick of things again a minute later, crumpling under Bjorklund's challenge, but instead of the anticipated free-kick, ref Young booked the winger, presumably for diving.

The half ended with Laudrup squirming clear in the box and driving Porrini's cross against the post, with Rino Gattuso's rebound deflected wide.

So feckless had Rangers' first half display been that an immediate rethink was hardly surprising. Stensaas, who'd got forward quite capably, was kept inside with old campaigner McCoist sent on to mount one last salvage mission.

It very nearly worked. McCoist did more than the other Rangers' strikers combined - and maybe gave Craig Brown pause for thought!

He was immediately involved, playing a neat one-two with Gattuso and when the defence failed to clear, driving in a shot which was deflected on its way to Rousset.

He dealt with it but two minutes later he was the unlikely architect of Hearts' second.

His long free-kick carried into the box, and although Amoruso looked to be dealing with it comfortably, Adam capitalised on his hesitation.

He stole the ball and drove in a right-foot shot which Goram touched but couldn't prevent spinning into the net.

Even the Hearts fans seemed unable to comprehend what they were witnessing, and as Rangers threatened to unravel completely, Durie was booked for a foul on McCann.

From the resulting free-kick Thomas Flogel almost added a third, outjumping Porrini only to see his header saved.

Dramatic

Rangers were given hope when Durie's long throw caused confusion and McCoist blasted against the keeper.

That suggested it was not going to be Rangers' day - but they got a lifeline nine minutes from time when Gattuso's pass was driven in by McCoist.

Gers were raging four minutes later when he got clear again and was flattened by Weir. It looked a foot inside the box but Young gave a free-kick outside it and Laudrup's tame effort fizzled out - not unlike Rangers' season!

* MAN OF THE FINAL

PAUL RITCHIE strolled through the game as if he had been playing in cup finals for 10 years.

There were a couple of men in maroon who ran Ritchie close but the young defender was simply outstanding.

* SHOT OF THE FINAL

LORENZO AMORUSO came close to scoring one of the greatest Scottish Cup Final goals of all time. He let fly from 35 yards out with a first half rocket shot - only to be denied by a brilliant Gilles Rousset save.

* SAVE OF THE FINAL

JUST two years after THAT Hampden horror blunder, Gilles Rousset redeemed himself with a blinding display. Amoruso's shot looked to be heading for the top corner until he stretched out a glove to make a wonder save.

* REF WATCH: WILLIE YOUNG THE Clarkston whistler won't be flavour of the month at Ibrox after this one. Didn't have the best of games.