The Premier League side can count themselves extremely fortunate still to be in the competition after they were given the game of their lives by the Third Division side.

The so-called Minnows, who were playing Highland league football just five years ago, may be out but they can take a lot of heart from this outstanding performance.

After 120 minutes of football the part-timers seemed to run out of steam when it came to the drama of the penalty shoot-out.

Hearts' trio of Holmes, Fulton and Makel all converted but Adams, Heard and last man Ross all missed to send Ross crashing out.

But this wasn't before they gave Hearts the fright of their lives.

It took them 40 minutes to grab the opener after a storming first half display.

Their goal came when Franc Escalon threw a high ball in the box which Steven Pressley failed to control, only succeeding in laying the ball into the path of Roy Bain who steered the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

Hearts looked more like themselves in the second half, although they were still finding breaking down the County defence a difficult task.

Thomas Flogel didn't trouble County keeper Nicky Walker with a long range effort and Neil McCann's shot after 55 minutes from a tight angle was always going wide.

County's Derek Adams, who has been watched by a host of clubs, almost carved his name into his club's history books with what was almost a second goal, when after 55 minutes he sent in a tremendous volley which beat Rousset, but couldn't beat his left-hand post.

Hearts had been living on their nerves but after 71 minutes substitute Derek Holmes calmed them.

A McCann corner caused mayhem in the County penalty box, but the big substitute reacted quickest and stabbed home the equaliser.

However Hearts' joy was short-lived when three minutes later they were reduced to 10 men.

Paul Ritchie was given his marching orders for an alleged off the ball incident with County's Gary Wood.

Hearts managed to hold on until the penalty shoot-out, although in the last minute of normal time Rousset brought off a fine instinctive save when he got down to block a goal-bound volley from Mick Bain.

Teams

Hearts: Rousset, Naysmith, Weir, Ritchie, McCann (Makel 80), Fulton, Adam, Hamilton (Holmes 58), Locke, Flogel (Quitongo 68), Pressley.

Sent Off: Ritchie (74).

Booked: Rousset, Adam.

Goals: Holmes 71.

Ross County: Walker, Golabek (Campbell 93), McBain, Herd, Maxwell, Gilbert, Ferguson, Adams, Tarrant (Wood 54), Taylor (Ross 68), Escalon.

Booked: Maxwell, Golabek, Ferguson, Wood, Adams.

Goals: McBain 40.

Hearts win 3-0 on penalties

Att: 12,000

Ref: K Clark (Paisley).


Taken from sportinglife.com